Garuda Indonesia “We will check the rationality of commercial use”
Use of ‘palm kernel oil’… Each country claims “sustainable aviation fuel”
Concerns about deforestation due to expansion of palm tree cultivation… EU import restrictions
Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia’s national airline, succeeded in its first commercial flight on the 27th using aviation fuel mixed with palm oil.
According to the BBC and Reuters on the 29th (local time), Garuda Indonesia’s Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, which used jet fuel mixed with palm oil, flew with about 100 people from the capital Jakarta to Surakarta, about 550km away.
Garuda Indonesia said that this commercial flight was conducted after several tests, including an engine test on the ground last August and a flight test with a new fuel earlier this month.
“We will discuss further with Pertamina (Indonesian state energy company), the Ministry of Energy and other stakeholders to ensure that palm oil makes commercial sense,” Garuda Indonesia CEO Irfan Setiaputra said at the ceremony. .
Palm oil-blended jet fuel is produced by Indonesia’s state-owned energy company Pertamina. Pertamina said palm oil fuel emits less greenhouse gases than fossil fuels.
“Starting in 2021, we are making sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using bleached and deodorized ‘palm kernel oil’ refined at the oil refinery,” said Pertamina Director Alpian Nasuon. ‘Palm kernel oil’ is a fuel made by pressing the core of the palm tree (oil palm) fruit.
SAF refers to aviation fuel produced from biofuel. The feedstock is mainly animal and vegetable oil, waste cooking oil, and sugarcane. Palm oil producing countries have been demanding the inclusion of palm oil in the feedstock from which SAF is produced.
The aviation industry, a major greenhouse gas emitting sector, is seeking ways to reduce the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the industry by using alternative fuels.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that 65% of greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry can be reduced using SAF in 2050, and that SAF will contribute to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero. Experts say that to achieve this, 450 billion liters (liters) of SAF will be needed every year by 2050.
Some countries have raised concerns that expansion of palm tree plantations could lead to forest destruction. The European Union (EU) also imposed import restrictions on palm oil.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.