Syntroleum to supply US Defense with jet biofuel

09 July 2007 20:21  [Source: ICIS news]

By Doris de Guzman

NEW YORK (ICIS news)--Syntroleum has signed a contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide 500 gal of fats-based jet fuel for its testing programme, a company official said on Monday.

“When the contract is completed, we would be the first company to provide both fats-based aviation fuel and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) aviation fuel to the DoD for its certification and weapon system testing programme,” said Jack Holmes, chief executive of Syntroleum. The fuel will be used for research and development and performance testing in military turbine applications as part of the DoD’s Assured Fuels programme, which aims to evaluate the usage of biobased jet fuels, said Syntroleum.

Tyson will supply the animal fats feedstock for the fuel.

Syntroleum and Tyson recently formed joint venture company Dynamic Fuels, which plans to build a 75m gal/year fats-based synthetic fuel plant in a yet-to-be determined site in the south-central US. Production was expected to start in 2010.

DoD also awarded funding this year to UOP, a subsidiary of Honeywell, and Diversified Energy Corp. for the development of vegetable oils and animal fats-based jet fuels.

Consumption of petroleum-based jet propellant 8 (JP-8) fuel by the US Air Force, US Army and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is estimated at 4.5bn gal/year, said Jennifer Holmgren, director of the Renewable Energy and Chemicals business at UOP.

The Navy uses JP-5 fuel while commercial airliners use Jet A and Jet A-1.

DoD reported a 165% increase in bulk jet fuel spending from 2003-2005 because of the rising cost of crude oil. DoD said it consumes around 15% of kerosene-based jet fuel produced by the US.

“The US Air Force has expressed its desire to source 50% of its fuel needs from domestic alternative sources by 2016 and plans to certify its entire fleet of aircraft for alternative fuel use by 2010,” said Syntroleum’s Holmes.

(Look for further information on biobased jet fuels in the 9 July issue of ICIS Chemical Business Americas)

By: Doris de Guzman
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