Boeing and PetroChina, together with representatives of the Chinese energy sector and the global aviation industry, announced the signing of an agreement to evaluate establishing a sustainable aviation biofuels industry in China. The strategic assessment is the first such effort in China and will take a comprehensive look at the environmental and socio-economic benefits of developing sustainable alternatives to fossil-based jet fuels.
The project will look at all phases of sustainable aviation biofuel development including agronomy, energy inputs and outputs, lifecycle emissions analysis, infrastructure and government policy support. The assessment, slated to begin in June, supports a broader sustainable aviation biofuel agreement between China’s National Energy Administration and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency to promote the commercialization and use of aviation biofuels in China through the U.S.-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP), a public-private partnership. Other U.S. companies participating include AECOM, Honeywell’s UOP and United Technologies. Air China and PetroChina Company, Ltd. will lead the Chinese team.