Amyris enters partnership to supply renewable jet fuel to GOL commercial flights
Renewable fuels and chemicals company Amyris and GOL South American airline Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that could pave the way for GOL commercial flights to use Amyris renewable jet fuel in 2014.
Under the MoU, the two companies will establish a framework for bringing Amyris renewable jet fuel, produced from Brazilian sugarcane, to GOL's commercial flights following industry standards set by organisations including ASTM International and Brazil's Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP).
'GOL supports all initiatives to help make Brazilian aviation more sustainable,' says Paulo Kakinoff, president of GOL. During this past year, the airline's fuel-saving initiatives have helped it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 30,000 tonnes.
Lifecycle analysis indicates that Amyris' renewable jet fuel could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% or more when compared to conventional fossil-derived jet fuel. Amyris has applied for certification under the Roundtable of Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and is a member of Bonsucro, the world's leading sugarcane sustainability standard.
'We are committed to working with the aviation industry to bring cleaner skies, starting in Brazil in 2014. Following two successful demonstration flights and a series of successful tests with multiple industry stakeholders, we look forward to receiving ASTM validation and ANP approval of our breakthrough renewable jet fuel produced from Brazilian sugarcane,' says John Melo, Amyris's president and CEO.
Amyris operates a production facility, located adjacent to the Paraíso sugarcane mill in Brotas, São Paulo in Brazil, to convert sugars into a renewable hydrocarbon, farnesene, which can be processed into a drop-in renewable jet fuel compliant with Jet A/A-1 specifications following regulatory and industry approvals.
During 2013, GOL completed a number of projects and has established even more solid partnerships. In September, GOL participated in the launch of the Céus Verdes do Brasil Project ('Brazilian Green Skies'), which aims to improve the efficiency of Brazilian airspace.
