Embraer and GE successfully conclude bio-jet fuel tests

Embraer and GE held a series of test flights this week, with an EMBRAER 170 jet flying from the Company’s Gavião Peixoto facilities. The purpose of the tests was to benchmark the operational characteristics of the airplane and its GE CF34-8E engines when powered by HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids) fuel under a broad range of unique flight conditions. The flights involved powering one of the two GE engines with the maximum ASTM permissible mix of 50% HEFA (derived from camelina) with Jet-A. ollowing the recent approval of biomass-based HEFA fuels by ASTM, Embraer and GE have stepped up their efforts with the objective of supporting the development of a broader range of sustainable biofuels for aviation. With these tests, both companies confirmed that technical plans and procedures for future fuels testing are robust, enabling value-added and timely testing of additional fuels.
The series of flights, which happened in August 2011, set the stage for further biofuel development programs that Embraer and GE will undertake with fuel produced from additional feedstocks and production pathways under consideration by the industry. These fuels are currently under study by fuel providers worldwide, including many in Brazil.