(GERMANY)
A collaborative European research project has shown that biofuels have the potential to make aviation more environmentally friendly.
Researchers from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) joined teams from Lufthansa Technik and the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials, Fuels and Lubricants. They investigated blended biofuels, biofuels and kerosene on a giant test rig at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg.
“This large-scale test showed that the use of blends can improve the carbon footprint in the field of aviation without causing any problems in the engine. Furthermore, with biofuels, we see the potential to reduce the emissions of pollutants in the future,” said DLR researcher Markus Köhler.
The European Union-funded ‘High Biofuel Blends in Aviation’ (HBBA) study adds to findings announced by NASA in March, which confirmed planes can drastically cut jet engine pollution by using biofuels.