BIOMASS HUB

Boeing, Brazilian plane maker Embraer, and the Inter-American Development Bank announced Tuesday that they will jointly fund an analysis of producing aviation biofuels from Brazilian sugarcane.

The Brazilian think tank ICONE will lead the study, while the World Wildlife Fund will serve as an independent reviewer and advisor. The study is scheduled for completion in early 2012.

With Bio-SPK certification now out of the way, efforts to ramp up aviation biofuels production to meet industry targets will intensify over the next decade.  Within this context, Brazilian sugarcane is gaining considerable attention among advanced biofuels producers who are chasing cheap feedstock to accelerate commercialization efforts in order to meet end-use demand.

Billy Glover, Boeing vice president of Environment and Aviation Policy, said in a news release:

Collaborative research into the cane-to-jet pathway is important for diversifying aviation’s fuel supplies, and also builds on the strong renewable energy cooperation established between the Unites States and Brazil.  With aviation biofuel now approved for use in commercial jetliners, understanding and ensuring the sustainability of sources that can feed into region supply chains is critical and Brazil has a strong role to play there.

More on Boeing’s cane-to-biojet study.