The objective is to distinguish alternatives that offer equivalent levels of safety and compare favourably on cost with petroleum-based jet fuel, while also offering reduced environmental impact and security of energy supply for aviation.
From an environmental perspective, CAAFI Works to assess the spectrum of environmental impacts of any alternative fuel options developed, by working to measure engine emissions that affect air quality and quantify the full life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the fuel production process including feedstock extraction and transport, fuel processing, fuel distribution and land use changes.
In one of its most recent endeavours, CAAFI collaborated with Biofuels Digest on a dedicated aviation-related session at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference (ABLC2014) in Washington DC on 21-23 April 2014, by organising an aviation-focused afternoon entitled The World Aviation & Military Biofuels Summit. The event covered key aviation biofuel initiatives, and information about the most recently developed fuel conversion pathways and commercialisation.
Beyond this initiative, CAAFI’s mission has attained numerous notable achievements. Among others, in its collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), CAAFI established the drop-in jet fuel concept, followed by FT and HEFA jet fuel approval, it achieved Fuel Readiness Level endorsement as a best practice by the International Civil Aviation Organization and issued Guidance for Selling Alternative Fuels to Airlines with A4A.
Overall, CAAFI’s commitment to exploring the use of alternative fuels is a guarantee of quality in energy security and environmental sustainability for aviation.