Eco Factor: Boeing 747-400 powered by a 50-50 blend of fruit oil and jet fuel.
Severely criticized on the amount of carbon emissions their planes produce, aviation companies have started to try out new fuel combinations that could make their aircraft green. The newest endeavor is from Air New Zealand, which has tried to green a Boeing 747-400 by powering it with a 50-50 blend of oil from a plum-sized fruit known as Jatropha and conventional jet fuel.
The two-hour flight demonstrated that even simple changes in fuel could cut gas emissions from long-haul flights by about 65%. Air New Zealand stated that about 1.5 tons of fuel can be saved during a 12-hour flight, which would also cut carbon emissions by about five tons. Apart from the environmental benefit, the fuel doesn’t account for any significant monetary benefit, particularly when the price of oil is around $60 a barrel.
Via: DailyMail
