29-10-2012

Honeywell green jet fuel powers gulfstream flights to NBAA

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ produced using Honeywell’s UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process powered demonstration flights by Gulfstream Aerospace to this year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention.

Five Gulfstream aircraft traveled on October 27 and 28 from Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah, Ga., to Orlando, Fla., for the NBAA convention, the world’s largest civil aviation tradeshow.

Both engines of the aircraft were powered by a 50/50 blend of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel and petroleum-derived jet fuel. The renewable fuel was made with natural oils from camelina, an inedible plant that grows in conditions where other food crops cannot. This marked the first time Gulfstream’s entire fleet has flown on renewable jet fuel.

“Honeywell Green Jet Fuel has been proven repeatedly throughout the aviation community as an alternative fuel source that not only meets strict flight specifications, but also offers significant emissions reductions,” said Jim Rekoske, vice president and general manager of Honeywell’s UOP Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit. “We are pleased that Gulfstream chose to incorporate Honeywell Green Jet Fuel into its companywide sustainability initiative.”

Gulfstream G150, G280, G450, G550 and G650 aircraft participated in the flights. Previously, Gulfstream’s G450 was the only Gulfstream aircraft flown using renewable jet fuel.

Each gallon on camelina-based Honeywell Green Jet Fuel burned instead of petroleum reduces the net carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 68 percent. Depending on the feedstock, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel can offer a 65 to 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to petroleum-based fuels.

When used as part of a 50 percent blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel is a drop-in replacement for petroleum-based jet fuel that requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight.

Honeywell’s UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Process technology was originally developed in 2007 under a contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce renewable military jet fuel for the U.S. military. The process technology is fully compatible with existing hydroprocessing technology commonly used in today’s refineries to produce transportation fuels.

In addition to using Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, Gulfstream’s aircraft feature a wide range of Honeywell Aerospace technology that improves energy efficiency and the environmental footprint. Honeywell’s Flight Management Systems (FMS) aboard Gulfstream’s large-cabin aircraft enable the most efficient use of airspace in all phases of flight. The HTF7250 propulsion system installed on the Gulfstream G280 super mid-sized aircraft features the latest SABER1 combustion technology, which reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 25 percent.

In 2011, a Honeywell-operated Gulfstream G450 became the first aircraft to fly from North America to Europe with a 50/50 blend of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel and petroleum-based jet fuel, powering one of the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce engines. It was also the first business jet to be powered by a biofuel.