Canadian airliner Porter has launched a Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft powered by a 50/50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1 fuel, marking its first biofuel-powered revenue flight in Canada.
Bombardier aerospace public affairs, communications and corporate social responsibility vice president, Helene Gagnon, said: "The success of the biofuel test programme, which utilised a BombardierQ400 aircraft, speaks volumes about the ability of the aviation and other communities to work together towards producing a more sustainable aviation industry."
"This is the first time that a revenue flight in Canada was powered by biofuel, so we’ve achieved a first for Canada," Gagnon added.
The biofuel, which was certified to the new American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D7566/D1655 standard, was derived from oilseed crops, Camelina sativa (49%) and Brassica carinata (1%).
The successful flight, from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Ottawa, marked the end of a two-year test programme launched in 2010, which includes the combined efforts of Targeted Growth, Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt and Whitney Canada and Porter Airlines.
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By GlobalDataThe programme was funded by the key partners, and by Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) through the Green Aviation Research & Development Network (GARDN).
Pratt & Whitney Canada Engine Development Programs vice president, Daniel Breitman, said: "We have implemented new technologies to significantly reduce fuel consumption, environmental emissions and engine noise in our latest generation of engines and we are developing cutting-edge green technologies for the future, to help the aerospace industry reach its commitment of reducing its overall footprint."
The programme was also supported by Agrisoma Biosciences, which produced carinata bio-oil and sustainable oils. They were responsible for crushing the camelina to make the camelina bio-oil.
Honeywell UOP supported the programme by converting bio-oils into the bio-derived jet fuel to meet the D7566 standard while SkyNRG provided logistics and blending the obtained oils to meet D1655 specification.
Image: A Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft being loaded with a 50/50 blend of biofuel and Jet A1 fuel prior to its flight. Photo: Bombardier.
