Page 1 of 1 [ 3 posts ] 

paolo
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Age: 92
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,175
Location: Italy

24 Feb 2008, 12:23 pm

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., the U.K. carrier controlled by billionaire Richard Branson, tested a jumbo jet partly powered by a biofuel made from coconut oil, a first for a commercial aircraft. The Boeing Co. 747-400, which took off from London and landed at Amsterdam, had one unmodified engine running on a mixture of about 25 percent biofuel and the rest standard jet kerosene, Branson said today at a Heathrow airport news conference.
"This pioneering flight, according to Branson, will enable those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future, fuels which will power our aircraft in the years ahead through sustainable next-generation oils, such as algae,'' Branson admitted that the fuel source used today isn't plentiful enough to be a major resource for the airline industry. Nuts are harvested from palms by local workers from the Amazonian rainforest.



Aspie_Chav
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Feb 2006
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,931
Location: Croydon

24 Feb 2008, 2:07 pm

Bio-diesel isn't economical because of the all that land you have to use and all the processing of the crisp.

Sometime I mix up my own veg oil from the Chinese cash and carry. I have to watch out for the frying squid if they catch me, they will want to know if I have paid any duty.



paolo
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Age: 92
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,175
Location: Italy

25 Feb 2008, 1:57 am

"The world's first commercial aircraft powered partly by biofuel took off from Heathrow yesterday to a storm of criticism from climate change experts, who insisted it was nothing more than Sir Richard Branson's latest "nonsensical" publicity stunt."