Sinopec and Airbus to develop Chinese renewable aviation fuel

24 September 2012

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), one of China’s biggest energy companies and Airbus are developing and promoting renewable aviation fuel production for regular commercial use in China.

Sinopec is the instrumental partner in helping the Central Government to establish a Chinese airworthiness certification for alternative aviation fuels made from locally grown feedstocks.

The certified fuel known as “1# bio-jet fuel” will be produced by Sinopec using its own technology in a newly built refinery in Hangzhou (near Shanghai). (Earlier post.)

Airbus is supporting the development of the Chinese standard with technical expertise gained in past certification processes with the European Union and US fuels standards bodies and in the selection of sustainable feedstocks.

Bio-jet fuel is becoming increasingly important in aviation and the energy market. It will help aviation grow sustainably and demand for fuel increase. Sinopec has developed its own technology for producing aviation fuel from biomass and waste oil and has already produced aviation fuel meeting international standards. Sinopec is assisting CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) in the airworthiness certification process and is proud to be collaborating with Airbus and other partners in the push for alternative aviation fuels.

—DAI Houliang, SVP of Sinopec

In addition to fuel certification, the partners are also establishing a sustainable alternative fuel value chain in China, to help speed up its commercialisation, and will use 100% domestic resources and refining capabilities.

Airbus currently supports alternative fuel value chains in Australia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. In August, the company formed a partnership with Tsinghua University to complete a sustainability analysis of Chinese feedstocks, and to evaluate how best to support the development of a value chain to speed up the commercialization of aviation bio-fuels. (Earlier post.)