On green flight path: Airlines focus on eco fuel blends

The airline industry, one of the major contributors of CO2 emissions, has been doing its bit for a better world environment by investing in research on alternative energy sources. This is an attempt to reduce its emission levels and contribute to the cause.

According to enviro.aero, a website maintained by Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), the commercial aviation industry body, airlines have committed themselves to carbon neutral growth from 2020. This essentially means that net CO2 emissions from the aviation industry would peak between now and 2020 and would stabilise and decline after that, despite changes in traffic growth. Using biofuel-blends is expected to be one way of reducing CO2 emissions substantially.

While foreign airline operators have been using biofuel blends for flights, albeit in small quantities and engaging in corporate social responsibility programs for the environment with definite targets over the last two years, Indian airline operators are opting for the slow and steady approach.

“Kingfisher has embarked on a joint research collaboration programme with Anna University, Chennai, to explore alternative energy sources and look at possibilities of advancements in key areas such as biofuel blending with diesel for use in support vehicles on ground at airports. The company is also exploring biofuel development for tests on aircraft engines and for potential blending with jet fuel,” said a Kingfisher Airlines spokesperson.

Earlier, it had been reported that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also decided to commission a study to determine CO2 emissions by aircraft in India and set up an emission database with 2005 as the base year. The regulator has also asked airlines to cut emissions through improvements in fuel efficiency, proper maintenance of aircraft and implementing weight-reduction measures.

Air India, the brand under which the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL) flies, has also taken its responsibility seriously. Former CMD, V Thulasidas had constituted an environmental core group in Air India in June 2005 to act as a body for identification and assimilation of technologies.

Gokul Chaudhri, partner, BMR Advisors says, “Land transport has been ahead of the curve as far as the use of alternative energy sources goes, with CNG now a part of regular usage. For the aviation industry, the next several years will center around experimentation to move away from traditional fossil fuels. But the confidence in biofuel blends is still some time away, as we haven’t heard of any breakthrough technology in this regard yet.”