British Airways and Rolls-Royce to test biofuels

Keeping up with current global trend of cutting carbon emissions, engine maker Rolls-Royce and the national carrier airline of UK- British Airways, have combined forces to begin testing various different types of biofuels which can be used in airplanes.

The outline of this proposed plan is to test myriad types of fuels that are created from different types of plants, and accordingly gauge their credibility. The best performing fuels for this project will be considered for future use.

British Airway’s Environmental sectional manager Jonathan Counsell has announced that the company would use one of its largest jets for testing purposes, while Rolls-Royce would provide its elaborate facilities. Many tests have already been conducted and some of them, i.e. short duration flights, have had highly successful test runs.

However, the British airline intends to look at this as a long term investment in a greener portfolio. Engines are in the process of being tested to see if they can handle the fuel for long periods of both time and duration. The project is scheduled to be completed by next year.

Many major airline companies such including KLM have also begun testing environmentally friendly biofuels. The industry will hopefully be changing course towards a more environmentally-friendly future; and biofuels may soon become a mainstream source of fuel. Although biofuels will not be completely environment-impact free, they will significantly reduce carbon emissions. Also touted to decrease substantially, is the cost of fuel for the airlines.