British Airways plans to use biofuels from waste

British Airways (BA) has announced plans to begin using biofuels made from waste materials within the next four years. The airline has teamed up with U.S.-based Solena Group to produce Europe’s first plant for developing bio jet fuels, and is currently assessing four potential sites in east London for the new facility. The company has also signed a letter of intent with Solena which commits it to purchasing all the fuel produced by the new plant. BA says the proposed plant will convert 500,000 tons of waste a year into 72 million liters of bio jet fuel, which will result in life cycle greenhouse gas savings of up to 95%, compared with fossil fuel-derived jet kerosene. (October 14, 2010)