Netherlands: First Flight for Bio-Fuel Plane

This KLM Royal Dutch Airlines jet has just successfully completed the first ever passenger test flight using renewable fuel.

One of its four engines ran half on sustainable bio-fuel from the camelina plant and half on traditional kerosene.

The bio-fuel used reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent in an experiment welcomed by environment campaigners.

[Johan Van De Gronden, CEO, WWF Netherlands]: 
„That is a big step forward. On top of that, it does not come at the expense of primary forest or nature and the cultivation does not compete with the food chain.“

It’s estimated planes account for up to four percent of all the world’s carbon emissions.

The KLM project is still an experiment, but CEO Peter Hartman hopes to get things moving next year.

[Peter Hartman, CEO, KLM]:
„At the end of 2010, we hope to get a first certification. And then of course the challenge will be how fast are we able, together with the industry, to produce it.“

Airlines are under pressure to develop cleaner fuel as it’s predicted their carbon emissions will quadruple in the next 40 years.

As more and more of us travel by plane, experts say it could reach 2.4 billion tons by 2050.

That would account for a fifth of all CO2 permitted under a global agreement.

(NTDTV)