Boeing, Hawaii BioEnergy Form Biofuel Partnership

The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) has signed a collaboration agreement with biofuel producer Hawaii BioEnergy LLC, an international consortium leading the alternative fuels race in Hawaii, to develop clean, renewable fuels for aviation.

Under the terms of the deal, the partners will work to identify suitable crops, including eucalyptus and sorgum, that can be grown locally for conversion into commercial jet fuel. The companies will also collaborate on the assessment of supporting technology solutions and projects related to biofuel production.

The partnership signals a continuing confidence in the fast-emerging aviation biofuel industry.

Boeing, which is committed to the pursuit of aviation biofuels, last month conducted China's first successful sustainable fuel flight using an Air China Boeing 747-400 powered by a half-and-half mix of biofuel and standard jet fuel. The aviation mainstay recently unveiled its 787 Dreamliner, a fast-flying, lightweight carbon-fiber jet aimed at reducing fuel consumption.
 
For its part, Hawaii BioEnergy, in September signed a contract with Hawaiian Electric Co., the state's largest electric utility, to supply it with 10 millions gallons of Kauai-grown biofuel annually to power a generating station in Oahu.

Globally, airlines burn up to 220 million tons of conventional fuel each year, generating 650 million tons of carbon emissions.

Under the strain of rising fuel costs and political pressure to reduce emissions, over the past few years, the airline industry has increasingly taken commercial flights that rely, in part, on biofuels. And the U.S. military has stepped up the testing of alternative fuels for its aircraft as part of a broader effort to cut dependence on fossil fuels with renewable energy.

Image credit: tiraescott via Flickr