Marc Allen, President, Boeing China.
BEIJING, CHINA: Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) and Boeing opened the Boeing-COMAC Aviation Energy Conservation and Emissions Reductions Technology Centre, a collaborative effort to support commercial aviation industry growth. The two companies also announced that the Boeing-COMAC Technology Centre’s first research project will explore opportunities to refine waste cooking oil, often described in China as ‘gutter oil,’ into sustainable aviation biofuel.
Funded by both companies, the Boeing-COMAC Technology Centre is working with China-based universities and research institutions to expand knowledge in areas such as sustainable aviation biofuels and air traffic management that improve commercial aviation’s efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
“The new Boeing-COMAC Technology Centre reflects our companies’ mutual commitment to make progress on industry challenges, such as the need to reduce carbon emissions. These industry issues cannot be solved by one company alone. What better way to address them than in partnership. Our work with COMAC continues what is now four decades of Boeing partnership with airlines, government agencies, suppliers and research institutions to support the development of China’s aviation industry,” said Marc Allen, President, Boeing China.
The Boeing-COMAC Technology Centre’s first research project aims to identify contaminants in ‘gutter oil’ and processes that may treat and clean it for use as jet fuel. Waste cooking oil shows potential for sustainable aviation biofuel production and an alternative to petroleum-based fuel because China annually consumes approximately 29 million tonne of cooking oil, while its aviation system uses 20 million tonne of jet fuel. Finding ways to convert discarded ‘gutter oil’ into jet fuel could enhance regional biofuel supplies and improve biofuel’s affordability.
© WOC News