Jet Fuel - Synthetic Jet Fuel

Synthetic Jet Fuel

A significant effort is under way to certify Fischer–Tropsch (FT) Synthesized Paraffinic Keroseen (SPK) synthetic fuels for use in U.S. and international aviation fleets. In this effort is being led by an industry coalition known as the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI), also supported by a parallel initiative under way in the U.S. Air Force, to certify FT fuel for use in all aviation platforms. The U.S. Air Force has a stated goal of certifying its entire fleet for use with FT synthetic fuel blends by 2011. The CAAFI initiative aims to certify the civilian aviation fleet for FT synthetic fuels blends by 2010, and has programs under way to certify Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) (aka Hydrogenated Renewable Jet (HRJ)) SPK biofuels as early as 2013. "Hydroprocessed" and "hydrotreated" have also been used in lieu of "hydrogenated". Both FT and HEFA based SPKs blended with JP-8 are specified in MIL-DTL-83133H.

Synthetic jet fuels show a reduction in pollutants such as SOx, NOx, particulate matter, and hydrocarbon emissions. It is envisaged that usage of synthetic jet fuels will increase air quality around airports which will be particularly advantageous at inner city airports.

  • Qatar Airways became the first airline to operate a commercial flight on a 50:50 blend of synthetic Gas to Liquid (GTL) jet fuel and conventional jet fuel. The natural gas derived synthetic kerosene for the six-hour flight from London to Doha came from Shell’s GTL plant in Bintulu, Malaysia.
  • The world's first passenger aircraft flight to use only synthetic jet fuel was from Lanseria International Airport to Cape Town International Airport on 22 September 2010. The fuel was developed by Sasol.

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