Biofuel will partly power some Cathay Pacific flights.
When the new Cathay Pacific A350-1000 flies from France to Hong Kong this Wednesday it will be partly powered with bio fuel. The flight will have a 10 per cent blend of biofuel along with the traditional jet fuel the A350 can hold a maximum of 156,000 litres of fuel. The use of Bio fuels is widely supported by Airbus as well as by fueling company Total who will fuel the flight on Wednesday.
The Airbus A350-1000 boasts an impressive range of 7,950 nautical miles, Powering the A350-1000 are Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. These engines allow the A350 to achieve an incredible range and fuel efficiency matched only by the A350’s biggest rival the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Cathay Pacific currently has another 20 A350-1000 on order for delivery across the next 4 years 7 of which are due by the end of this year.
Cathay Pacific chief executive Rupert Hogg said. “Achieving carbon neutral growth from 2020 is an important target that we take seriously and using alternative fuels is one of the key strategies in helping us to do so. We will continue to support the development and usage of biofuel to reach mainstream commercial viability.”
Both Boeing and Airbus are looking at alternate fuels and technology to reduce carbon emissions. In comparison to traditional jet fuel, biofuel can reduce life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent. A search for an alternate to jet fuel which is kerosene based is developing faster and faster as fuel and oil prices continue to rise. “A massive uplift in production and use is necessary if the industry is to hit its ambitious goal of a 50 per cent cut in net CO2 emissions by 2050, compared to 2005 levels” IATA said.
