Are alternative fuels the way forward for the aviation industry? Are they technically and
economically viable? Are they acceptable from the standpoint of our environment and
society as a whole? What are the investment priorities for R&D and deployment? These
were just some of the main questions raised by the SWAFEA (Sustainable Way for
Alternative Fuel and Energy in Aviation) conference held in Toulouse on February 9-10,
2011. Financed by the European Commission, SWAFEA is a 26-month study involving 18
partners1 led by Onera, the French aerospace research center.
Today, two technologies are serious candidates for the short-term use of biofuels in aviation. The first, “biomass to liquid” (BtL), uses the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert any organic material, especially lignocellulosic plants, into a liquid fuel. The second is the hydroprocessing of vegetable oils, a process that involves eliminating the oxygen contained in these oils to convert them into a hydrocarbon. The fuels produced via these two processes may be mixed with conventional Jet A-1 fuel at a ratio of about 50-50. While the first process has been approved, the second is awaiting approval.
