Cathay Pacific included on Dow Jones sustainability indices for first time

By BA Staff

Cathay Pacific Airways announced that the concerted effort the airline has made towards operating as a sustainable organization has led to it being included on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the first time.

The DJSI are recognized as the leading global sustainability benchmark, tracking the stock performance of the world's leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria. The indices serve as benchmarks for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios.

Membership of the DJSI is by invitation only and is based on both company market capitalization and overall performance scores. In joining the Asia Pacific listing, which commenced in 2009, Cathay Pacific now ranks alongside other major organizations in the region, including some of the world’s biggest airlines.

In the benchmarking scorecard produced for DJSI, the airline was assessed on a wide range of criteria ranging from brand management and anti-trust policies to risk management, fleet management and corporate philanthropy. In the Environmental Dimension, Cathay Pacific rated well above the industry average for its environmental policy/management system and environmental reporting.

 Cathay Pacific Head of Environmental Affairs Mark Watson said:

“The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices are a highly respected tool for assessing an organisation’s performance across key areas. At Cathay Pacific we are well aware of the need to operate in a socially responsible and sustainable way and it is a great honour to be invited to be included in the DJSI. The ratings given by DJSI analysts will provide motivation to further improve on our sustainability efforts.”

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Rostec and Airbus launch Russian sustainable aviation fuels at MAKS

Airbus and Rostec Group have signed a cooperation agreement at the MAKS air show in Moscow to work together on analyzing Russian feedstock with an eye at expanding Russian sustainable fuels for aviation. Find more details below.

28th August 2013

Airbus and RT-Biotekhprom (Rostec Group) signed a cooperation agreement to launch a large-scale analysis of Russian feedstock, and to evaluate how to speed up the development and commercialization of Sustainable Fuels for aviation. This breakthrough agreement was signed at the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2013.

The partnership is aimed at assessing suitable feedstocks to comply with ecological, economic and social sustainability criteria. The sustainability analysis will be managed by Airbus in close collaboration with RT-Biotekhprom.

The goal of the study is to select a number of local sources of sustainable raw materials suitable for the production of aviation fuel.. By the end of 2014, the aim is to complete a full sustainability analysis. Airbus will have a key role in supporting RT-Biotekhprom in ensuring that the fuel produced meets international aviation standards, alongside completing relevant flight test campaigns.

“We are delighted to be working with our Russian partners RT-Biotekhprom. ” - said Christopher Buckley, Executive Vice-President Sales. “Sustainable fuels are a crucial part of the roadmap to meet the aviation industry’s ambitious CO2 targets. We believe that the findings of this important study, which will be done for the first time in Russia, will contribute to a sustainable aviation sector in Russia. Additionally, we will be able to share our expertise in this area for the benefit of Russian industry. “

"The project will help us to improve the understanding of aviation Biofuels commercialization in Russia, identify the opportunities and challenges, and evaluate the possibility of social, economic, market and technology change and its cost, obstacles and challenges. We believe that the research will have positive effects on energy conservation, emissions reduction and climate change addressing in the Russian aviation sector." – said General Director RT-Biothekhprom Sergey Kraevoj

“We are delighted to be working with Airbus in this project. The decision for this partnership was based on the fact that we had necessary technologies and findings with regards to biomass recycling”, - said the project leader and advisor to General Director RT-Biothekhprom Konstantin Diespersov.

This partnership is part of an initiative to develop a complete sustainable aviation fuel production capability in Russia, using only sustainable resources. It is part of Airbus' goal to have in place such a 'value chain' in every continent. So far Airbus has value chains in Latin America, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and China.

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Air New Zealand, Boeing to test sustainable bio-fuels in December flight

Photo courtesy Wikipedia
Air New Zealand and Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced Dec. 3 as the date for the airline's sustainable biofuels flight from Auckland using a 747-400 jetliner. Conducted in partnership with Rolls-Royce and UOP, a Honeywell company, one of the airplane's four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines will be powered in part using advanced generation biofuels derived from jatropha. Air New Zealand now becomes the first airline to use a commercially viable biofuel sourced using sustainability best practices.

Boeing, Air New Zealand and UOP have worked diligently with growers and project developer Terasol Energy to identify sustainable jatropha in adequate quantities to conduct thorough preflight testing. Using proprietary UOP fuel processing technology, the jatropha crude oil was successfully converted to biojet fuel, marking the world's first large-scale production run of a commercially viable and sustainable biofuel for aviation use.

"This flight strongly supports our efforts to be the world's most environmentally responsible airline," said Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe. "We recently demonstrated the fuel and environmental gains that can be achieved through advanced operational procedures using Boeing 777s. We're also modernizing our fleet as we await our Trent 1000-powered 787-9 Dreamliners, which will burn 20 percent less fuel than the planes they replace. Introducing a new generation of sustainable fuels is the next logical step in our efforts to further save fuel and reduce aircraft emissions."

As part of the fuel verification process, UK-based engine maker Rolls-Royce's technical team conducted extensive laboratory testing to ensure compatibility with today's jet engine components and to validate the fuel meets stringent performance criteria for aviation fuel.

"In preparation for Air New Zealand's test flight we achieved our near-term goal - identifying and sourcing the first large-scale run of sustainable biofuel for commercial aviation," said Boeing Commercial Airplane's Managing Director of Environmental Strategy Billy Glover. "The processing technology exists today, and based on results we've seen, it's highly encouraging that this fuel not only met but exceeded three key criteria for the next generation of jet fuel: higher than expected jet fuel yields, very low freeze point and good energy density," Glover explained. "That tells us we're on the right path to certification and commercial availability."

Because of the unique environment in which aviation operates, stringent criteria are in place to ensure that any alternative fuel meets or exceeds current jet fuel requirements. Advance testing for the Air New Zealand flight showed that the jatropha-based biofuel met all critical specifications, including a freeze point at -53 degrees Fahrenheit (-47 degrees Celsius) and a flash point at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

"Laboratory testing showed the final blend had excellent properties, meeting and in many cases exceeding the stringent technical requirements for fuels used in civil and defense aircraft," said Chris Lewis, Rolls-Royce company specialist for fuels. "The blended fuel therefore meets the essential requirement of being a 'drop-in' fuel, meaning its properties will be virtually indistinguishable from conventional fuel, Jet A1, which is used in commercial aviation today."

To process the jatropha crude, the team relied on UOP's green jet fuel processing technology based on hydroprocessing methodologies that are commonly used to produce transportation fuels. During processing, hydrogen is added to remove oxygen from the biomass, resulting in a bio-derived jet fuel that can be used as a petroleum replacement for commercial aviation. Boeing is working with airlines and engine manufacturers to gather biofuel performance data as part of the industry's efforts to revise the current American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards to include fuels from sustainable plant sources. Jatropha, which can be grown in a broad range of conditions, produces seeds that contain inedible lipid oil that is extracted and used to produce fuel. Each seed produces 30 to 40 percent of its mass in oil. Plant oil used to create the fuel for the Air New Zealand flight was sourced from nonarable lands in India and Southeastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania).

Air New Zealand is one of several air carriers working to diversify and secure its energy future through participation in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group. That effort includes a commitment to sustainability criteria for fuel sourcing and commercializing plant-based fuels that perform as well as, or better than, kerosene-based fuel but with a smaller carbon lifecycle. The goal is to create a portfolio of next-generation biofuels that can be blended with traditional kerosene fuel (Jet A) to improve environmental performance.

Additional flight specifics will be announced closer to the actual flight date.

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