The flight, which is the first helicopter flightusing sustainable aviation biofuels to date, was conducted atGilze-Rijen Airbase, the home of the Royal Netherlands’ combathelicopter fleet. Natural oils from algae and used cooking oil wereconverted into Green Jet Fuel using process technology developed byHoneywell’s UOP. The aviation biofuel was blended in a 50 percentmixture with traditional jet fuel, and this blend was used to power oneof the Apache’s engines for a series of test maneuvers. Nomodifications were made to the engine or airframe for the flight.
“We congratulate the Royal Netherlands Air Force on this first successful helicopter flightand applaud their commitment to identifying new, sustainable sourcesfor aviation biofuel,” said Jim Rekoske, vice president and generalmanager for the Renewable Energy and Chemicals business of Honeywell’sUOP. “We continue to show through testing and demonstrations theviability of biofuels for both military and commercial aviation.”
Honeywell Green Jet Fuel has been used in four previous commercial biofuel demonstration flights, including a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines demonstration flight in November 2009. The fuel has also been demonstrated in fixed-wing flights with the U.S. Air Force and Navy as part of a joint program for alternative fuels testing and certification under the U.S. Defense Energy Support Center (DESC).
The process technology was originally developed in 2007 under acontract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) to produce renewable military jet fuel for the U.S. military.The process produces an aviation biofuel that can be blended seamlesslywith petroleum-based fuel. As part of a 50 percent blend withpetroleum-derived jet fuel, Green Jet Fuel is a drop-in replacementthat requires no changes to the aircraft technology and meets allcritical specifications for flight.
Honeywell’s UOP business, a recognized global leader in processtechnology to convert petroleum feedstocks to fuels and chemicals, isdeveloping a range of processes to produce green fuels from naturalfeedstocks. In addition to its Green Jet Fuel process technology, thecompany has commercialized the UOP/Eni Ecofining process to produceHoneywell Green Diesel from biological feedstocks. It has also a jointventure with Ensyn Corp. in Envergent Technologies LLC, which offerspyrolysis technology for the production of renewable heat, power andtransportation fuels.
UOP LLC, headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, is a leadinginternational supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents,process plants, and consulting services to the petroleum refining,petrochemical, and gas processing industries. UOP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc. and is part of Honeywell’s Specialty Materials strategic business group.
Honeywell International is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials.
