China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and aircraft manufacturer Airbus are developing renewable aviation fuel production for regular commercial use in China.
The two companies are working with the Chinese Central Government to establish an airworthiness certification for alternative aviation fuels made from locally grown feedstocks.
Airbus is supporting the development of the Chinese standard with technical expertise gained in past certification processes with the European Union and US fuels standards bodies and in the selection of sustainable feedstocks.
As the demand for flights continues to rise steeply in the region, there is a demand for aerospace sector to grow sustainably. Bio-jetfuel is becoming increasingly important in aviation and the energy market and China are increasingly aware of the vast amount of CO2 it is producing.
The Chinese chemicals firm will produce aviation fuel from biomass and waste oil using its own technology in a newly built refinery in Hangzhou (near Shanghai).
The refinery is one of the few in the world that has the capacity to produce aviation fuel from biomass in large-scale.
Sinopec is assisting CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) in the airworthiness certification process and is proud to be collaborating with Airbus and other partners in the push for alternative aviation fuels,” said Dai Houliang, senior vice president at Sinopec.
The partners are establishing a sustainable alternative fuel value chain in China to help speed up its commercialisation. Production will use 100% domestic resources and refining capabilities.
Laurence Barron, President of Airbus China, said: “Bio-fuels are a crucial part of the roadmap to meet aviation ambitious CO2 targets.”
