Pratt & Whitney Looking at Biofuels for Airlines
July 15, 2008
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Pratt & Whitney Canada has announced that they will lead a research effort to find biofuels that can be used in small and medium sized airplanes. The research, which has the goal of reducing the carbon footprint from air travel and lowering operating costs, will be conducted with several universities and research institutions in Canada.
The company has also said that it they will only look at biofuels that will not adversely affect food prices, as the production of corn-based ethanol has come under fire for rising food prices around the world. Pratt & Whitney have indicated that this could include jatropha and algae as possible biomass sources.
Walter Di Bartolomeo of Pratt & Whitney Canada said “We aim to have a fuel-flexible engine and to develop technologies that will allow us to offer aircraft manufacturers innovative and green power solutions.”
Several other big players in aviation are taking similar measures to try to reduce their carbon footprint. Earlier Rolls Royce and British Airways announced a partnership to begin testing alternative fuel sources in a Boeing 747 plane. Continental Airlines and Virgin Atlantic have also launched programs to look at biofuels for airplanes
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