Boeing, SSA team up on green jet fuel supply chain plan for S Africa

Oct 11, 2013 - US aircraft maker Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) and South African Airways (SAA) unveiled Thursday a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to create a sustainable aviation renewable fuel supply chain in Southern Africa.

The joint initiative comes in line with the partners’ efforts to achieve greater environmental sustainability for their operations and for the commercial aviation sector as a whole.

This is the first such project for Boeing in Africa. In other parts of the world, such as the US, China, Australia and Brazil, the US company has partnered with sector players, research institutions and governments to develop similar projects for biofuel supply chains. "By working with Boeing's sustainable aviation biofuel team [..] we will apply the best global technology to meet the unique conditions of Southern Africa, diversify our energy sources and create new opportunities for the people of South Africa," said Ian Cruickshank, head of group environmental affairs at SSA.

Boeing and SSA intend to evaluate feedstocks and pathways that meet strict sustainability criteria and can also bring a positive effect on South Africa's development. The two companies believe that as technologies advance the production of jet fuel from biomass would become even more sustainable, without competing with other industries for water or food.

According to the partners’ press release, flight tests have shown that fuel made from algae or plants matches and even exceeds the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel.

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