BFN News
BioFuelNet Canada joins forces with Airbus and Air Canada to develop advanced biofuels solutions for aviation
Monday, May 13th, 2013 – BioFuelNet has signed an agreement with Air Canada and Airbus to help them find the most promising biofuels for aviation. Air Canada and Airbus are part of a broad coalition, which has pledged Carbon Neutral Growth from 2020 and to reduce greenhouse emissions by 50 per cent by 2050. BioFuelNet Canada, a not-for-profit organization hosted by Montreal’s McGill University, will assess the viability of various Canadian advanced biofuels solutions for aviation. Their research will focus on diverse raw materials, such as municipal solid waste and agricultural and forestry waste, as well as a range of conversion processes available for biofuel production. The ultimate goal is to determine which advanced biofuels are the most sustainable for aviation. The agreement was signed at BioFuelNet’s headquarters in the Quartier de l’innovation (QI) in Montreal, on the 13th of May 2013, the day of the official QI launch.
Dr. Donald Smith, President of BioFuelNet and McGill University Professor stated, “Aviation biofuels are one of the most promising ways to reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint, making air travel more environmentally-friendly. Airbus and Air Canada are key players in the field, dedicated to finding the most sustainable fuel sources for the future of air travel. These relationships are of great importance to BioFuelNet Canada”.
“The commercialisation of sustainable alternative fuels is a key to reducing our sectors carbon footprint. The support and leadership of BioFuelNet in facilitating research and of airlines like Air Canada is an essential element in achieving this. Together we are showing that new lower carbon footprint aviation fuels work on existing aircraft and meet certification requirements,” said Frédéric Eychenne, Airbus New Energies Programme Manager.
“Air Canada has already operated two flights with biofuel and on each occasion we substantially reduced our emissions. Encouraged by these results, we look forward to participating in this project to encourage the development of a source of alternative fuel in Canada. New technologies, such as alternative fuels, are one of the ways our industry plans to reduce its emissions to meet its target of carbon-neutral growth for 2020 and beyond,” said Paul Whitty, Director of Fuel Purchasing and Supply at Air Canada and Chair of the Air Canada Alternative Fuels Working Group.
BioFuelNet was launched in 2012 as part of the Federal Networks of Centres of Excellence program, which funds BioFuelNet through a $25 million grant over 5 years. BioFuelNet brings together 74 leading researchers working on advanced biofuels in Canada, as well as industry partners and government, in order to accelerate research, development, and commercialization of advanced biofuels.
From slime to dollar signs?
4 February 2013 – Article in Canadian Biomass Magazine featuring Dr. Levin of BioFuelNet. Read More >>
Engineered microbes that convert waste into biofuels
31 January 2013 – Article on Dr. Levin’s and Dr. Sparling’s advanced biofuels research at the University of Manitoba for BioFuelNet. Read More >>
Jubilee Medal bestowed upon Dr. Don Smith, President of BioFuelNet Canada
6 December 2012 – Justin Bieber recently made headline news by accepting his Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in overalls. Another notable Canadian from a completely different walk of life, Dr. Donald Smith, McGill University Plant Science Professor and President of BioFuelNet Canada, was awarded the same prestigious medal. Read more >>
NCE R&D models continue to solve today’s innovation needs
19 November 2012 – Now is an auspicious time for Canada to be proactive about the development and commercialization of advanced biofuels. See page 38 in this issue of the Hill Times >>
A next-generation biofuel strategy offers hope for the future
8 June 2012 – Biofuels, including conventional ethanol made from corn or wheat, have had a tough year. In January, the United States ended a long-standing excise-tax exemption that acted as an ethanol producer incentive, and at the same time lowered tariff barriers that had prevented the import of Brazilian sugarcane-based ethanol. Read more >>
McGill aura son centre de recherche sur les biocarburants
31 mai 2012 – Le nouveau centre, appelé BioFuelNet Canada, s’établira dans le nouveau Quartier de l’innovation, un projet commun de McGill et de l’École de technologie supérieure. Read more in La Presse >>
Canada poised to become world leader in next-generation biofuel development
30 May 2012 – A plane powered by grass? Sounds unlikely, but thanks to a new research network led by Prof. Don Smith from McGill University’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, this could one day become a reality. Read more >>
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