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posted by CoolHand on Tuesday November 15 2016, @08:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest-can-i-join-the-mile-high-club dept.

Washington state-based Alaska Airlines today made history flying the first commercial flight using the world's first renewable, alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals, the limbs and branches that remain after the harvesting of managed forests.

The fuel used a 20 percent blend of sustainable aviation biofuel.

While 20% doesn't seem like much (it's still 80% aviation fuel), if the airline were able to replace 20 percent of its entire fuel supply at Sea-Tac Airport (from which it took off), it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 142,000 metric tons of CO2. This is equivalent to taking approximately 30,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year.


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  • (Score: 2) by Arik on Wednesday November 16 2016, @01:35PM

    by Arik (4543) on Wednesday November 16 2016, @01:35PM (#427500) Journal
    OK so second guess was the one then. Synthetic hydrocarbons.

    The Germans were producing it in the 40s, it's not really new, it's just expensive/inefficient.

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    If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
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  • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Wednesday November 16 2016, @03:37PM

    by butthurt (6141) on Wednesday November 16 2016, @03:37PM (#427547) Journal

    The Germans and South Africans (Sasol) made liquid fuel from coal with the Fischer-Tropsch process; this company makes it from biomass with fermentation. This company has a special yeast and they separate the isobutanol during fermentation. Some of it is used directly as a fuel or a chemical feedstock; some is turned into hydrocarbons such as isooctane (a desirable motor fuel). They sell the residue as animal feed.

    http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2016/bio-based-isobutanol-beckons/ [chemicalprocessing.com]

    • (Score: 1) by Arik on Wednesday November 16 2016, @04:16PM

      by Arik (4543) on Wednesday November 16 2016, @04:16PM (#427576) Journal
      http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2016/bio-based-isobutanol-beckons/

      Thanks, much more informative link.
      --
      If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?