The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to carry out tests for the use of unleaded fuels in aviation line in an effort to have a cleaner alternative for commercial use by 2018.
The agency has selected four unleaded fuels from Shell, TOTAL and Swift Fuels, to conduct first phase of testing at its William J Hughes Technical Center in Washington, DC.
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Based on the test results, around three fuels will be selected for phase-two engine and aircraft testing.
Planned to be completed in 2018, the testing process will generate standardised qualification and certification data, as well as property and performance data for candidate fuels.
FAA said: "The goal is for government and industry to work together to have a new unleaded fuel that reduces lead emissions for general aviation by 2018."
US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said: "We’re committed to removing harmful lead from general aviation fuel.
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By GlobalData"This work will benefit the environment and provide a safe and available fuel for our general aviation community."
Earlier this year, the FAA received replacement fuel proposals from the fuel producers for further evaluation, as part of the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI).
PAFI is an initiative designed to facilitate the general aviation industry switch to an unleaded aviation gasoline.
FAA said it considered the fuels based on various factors, including their impact on the existing fleet, production and distribution infrastructure, environment, toxicology, and aircraft operational costs.
According to the agency, around 167,000 general aviation aircraft in the US are fuelled by 100 low-lead aviation gasoline for safe operation.
