Bombardier and Swedavia take sustainable jet fuel deliveries from SkyNRG and AltAir
Bombardier Learjet 75 at KLM Jet Center Amsterdam (photo: SkyNRG)
Thu 1 Jun 2017 – SkyNRG has completed deliveries of sustainable aviation biofuels on behalf of Bombardier Business Aircraft and Swedish airport operator Swedavia. Bombardier’s demonstration fleet was refuelled with a biofuel blend at the KLM Jet Center in Amsterdam while en route to the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. The biofuel was produced by AltAir Fuels at its California biorefinery and SkyNRG was partnered in the delivery by aviation jet fuel supplier AEG Fuels. AltAir also produced the sustainable fuel supplied by SkyNRG and Air BP to Swedavia at Gothenburg Airport. The airport operator was receiving its first volume in 2017 of the fuel through its partnership with the Fly Green Fund that enables organisations and individuals in the Nordic region to reduce their carbon footprint by flying on sustainable aviation fuel.
Bombardier’s demonstration fleet – a Learjet 75, Challenger 350, Challenger 650 and Global 6000 aircraft – had been recently refuelled with biofuel at Los Angeles International Airport on flights to US and Canadian destinations before their onward journeys across the Atlantic.
“These biofuel-powered flights further demonstrate Bombardier Business Aircraft’s commitment to sustainability as an integral part of how it conducts its business,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, the manufacturer’s VP and GM Customer Experience. “Ensuring and demonstrating that our products are capable and ready to support industry objectives on emissions reductions is an important part of this commitment.
It was AEG Fuels first involvement in the delivery of sustainable jet fuel, which Greg Fox, Executive VP General Aviation, described as a milestone for the company. “We are taking the right steps in the development of a rapidly growing renewable fuel business,” he said.
SkyNRG CEO Maarten van Dijk said he hoped the flights would inspire other operators in the business aircraft segment to start flying on sustainable fuels.
The Fly Green Fund was founded by SkyNRG, NISA and Karlstad Airport in 2015, and other partners include SAS, KLM, BRA and EFS, as well as Swedavia. The initiative aims to secure funding to kick-start the market for sustainable aviation fuels in the Nordic region. Contributions from corporate customers and individuals are used 75% for the supply of jet biofuel and 25% towards production in the region.
“Swedavia’s support demonstrates that an airport can play an important role in making the aviation industry more sustainable,” said SkyNRG CFO Theye Veen. “It has set a great example for airports worldwide and we hope this will motivate other organisations to follow their example and start flying sustainable.”
Added Charlotte Ljunggren, Airport Director of Swedavia’s Gothenburg Landvetter Airport: “By joining Fly Green Fund two years ago we’ve taken an important and concrete step to reduce our climate impact. It’s great to see that our early involvement now really pays off and we’re proud to fly 100% fossil free in 2017.”
Another similar initiative involving SkyNRG is the KLM Corporate BioFuel Programme, in which the investment by the participants is used to help bridge the price difference between conventional fuel and sustainable biofuel. They pay a surcharge that covers the price differential on their staff business travel but allows them to claim reductions in their resulting CO2 emissions. Eight other Dutch organisations have now been joined by the Delft University of Technology, which aims to reduce staff travel CO2 emissions by around 10% per flight.
“By joining the Programme, the university wishes to emphasise the importance of sustainable civil aviation,” said Tim van der Hagen, Chairman of the university’s board of supervisors. “Alongside our research into sustainable biofuels – including the development of bio-jet fuels – we believe it’s important that our staff fly as sustainably as possible.”
SkyNRG has recently had its certification renewed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.
