ATW Daily News

ANZ, Boeing, Rolls-Royce to conduct 747-400 biofuel test flight

Monday October 1, 2007

Air New Zealand, Boeing and Rolls-Royce signed an MOU to conduct jointly what they claimed will be the first trial of a commercial 747 operated with biofuel.

The test flight will take place in late 2008 or early 2009 using an ANZ 747-400. The aircraft will not carry passengers and only one engine will run on the blended biofuel/kerosene mix. While the flight may use biofuel sourced from around the globe, ANZ CEO Rob Fyfe told media that the airline is "keen to encourage research into alternative fuels in New Zealand."

Boeing President-Australia and South Pacific Region Craig Saddler said in a conference call that the company is "now exploring second-generation biofuel feed stocks and processes that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gases throughout their entire lifecycle."

ATWOnline understands that one possible source for the biofuel is New Zealand's Aquaflow Bionomic Corp., which conducted the first biodiesel tests last year.

by Geoffrey Thomas

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