WSU aviation biofuel research attracts interest from Delta Air Lines
September 26, 2019 – Washington State University research on aviation biofuels has attracted the interest of one of the world’s largest commercial air carriers.
Delta Air Lines, as part of a $2 million investment along with its partner Northwest Advanced Bio-fuels LLC (NWABF), is studying the potential for a sustainable biofuel refinery in Washington state, where researchers already have shown that wood waste can be converted into aviation fuel.
The sustainable biofuel would be produced from locally sourced forest residuals such as limbs and branches that remain after the harvesting of managed forests.
Research done by the collaborative Northwest Advanced Renewable Alliance (NARA Project) first demonstrated the viability of forest residuals as a feedstock for sustainable aviation biofuel. The fuel produced by the NWABF facility in Washington State is expected to be used in Delta operations in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.