BOEING JOINS AVIATION, ENERGY & ACADEMIC LEADERS TO ACCELERATE DEV OF

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- Boeing has, with leading air carriers and Honeywell's UOP, a refining technology developer, established a group to
accelerate the development and commercialisation of sustainable new aviation
fuels.

Boeing in a statement said with support and advice from the world's leading
environmental organisations, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC), the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group makes
commercial aviation the first global transportation sector to voluntarily drive
sustainability practices into its fuel supply chain.

The group's charter is to enable the commercial use of renewable fuel
sources that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while lessening commercial
aviation's exposure to oil price volatility and dependence on fossil
fuels.

Airlines supporting the sustainable fuels initiative include Air France,
Air New Zealand, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Cargolux, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines,
KLM, SAS and Virgin Atlantic Airways. Collectively, they account for
approximately 15 percent of commercial jet fuel use.

"We welcome the aviation sector's will to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions, and appreciate their efforts to ensure the sustainability of their
biofuels sourcing," WWF global bioenergy coordinator and Steering Board member
of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels' Jean-Philippe Denruyter, said in a
statement released from Seattle on Wednesday.

"By teaming up with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, the aviation
sector can build on an existing solid multi-stakeholder process that will
reinforce this initiative."

All group members subscribe to a sustainability pledge
(http://www.boeing.com/commercial/environment/pdf/sustainable aviation fuel
users group.pdf) stipulating that any sustainable biofuel must perform as well
as, or better than, kerosene-based fuel, but with a smaller carbon
lifecycle.

The user's group pledged to consider only renewable fuel sources that
minimise biodiversity impacts: fuels that require minimal land, water and energy
to produce, and that don't compete with food or fresh water resources.

In addition, cultivation and harvest of plant stocks must provide
socioeconomic value to the local communities.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for leading airlines, supported by
well-respected energy and environmental organisations, to help commercial
aviation take control of its future fuel supply in terms of origin,
sustainability and environmental impacts," said managing director, Environmental
Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Billy Glover.

"The number one priority going forward is to complete thorough assessments
of sustainable plant sources, harvesting and economic impacts, and processing
technologies that can help achieve that goal."

The group has announced two initial sustainability research projects.
Assistant Professor Rob Bailis of Yale University's School of Forestry &
Environmental Studies, through funding provided by Boeing, will conduct the
first peer-reviewed, comprehensive sustainability assessment of jatropha curcas
to include lifecycle CO2 emissions and the socio-economic impacts to farmers in
developing nations.

Similarly, NRDC will conduct a comprehensive assessment of algae to ensure
it meets the group's stringent sustainability criteria.

Both species may potentially become part of a portfolio of biomass-based
renewable fuel solutions that, through advanced fuel processing methodologies
developed by energy sector leaders such as UOP, can help aviation diversify its
fuel supply.

This taskforce comes at just the right time to help airlines cut costs and
decrease their greenhouse gas emissions," said Liz Barratt-Brown, NRDC senior
attorney.

"If done right, sustainable biofuels could lower the airlines' carbon
footprint at a time when all industries need to be moving away from fuels with
high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, especially high carbon tar sands and
liquid coal."
-- BERNAMA