CorpComms Magazine

Virgin Atlantic has announced that it is developing the world's first low carbon aviation fuel which has just half the carbon footprint of the standard fossil fuel alternative. The move is part of Virgin Atlantic's pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent per passenger kilometre by 2020.

The airline is working with New Zealand based LanzaTech to develop technology that will see waste gases from industrial steel production, that would normally be burned into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, captured, fermented and chemically converted into jet fuel.

Virgin Atlantic plans to introduce the new fuel on its London to Shanghai and Delhi routes within three years, but a demo flight will take place within 12 to 18 months.

LanzaTech believes that its technology could be adapted by up to 65 per cent of the world's steel mills and that the fuel could be used in other commercial initiatives.

Virgin Atlantic president Sir Richard Branson said: 'This partnership to produce a next generation, low carbon aviation fuel is a major step towards radically reducing our carbon footprint, and we are excited about the savings that this technology can achieve. With oil running out, it is important that new fuel solutions are sustainable, and with the steel industry along able to deliver over 15 billion gallons of jet fuel annually, the potential is very exciting.'

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