Aviation industry tests jatropha curcas

Brazilian airline TAM is boosting its biofuel programme through a sustainable biokerosene production project manufactured from several raw materials, including the native jatropha curcas.

TAMs technological unit in Sao Carlos is currently experimenting with the cultivation of Jatropha curcas. The oil from the seed is processed into biokerosene, and has already been used at a 50 per cent blend with conventional kerosene in a test flight.

The study is now being extended to examine its economic viability and sustainability, which could see the biofuel gradually introduced in commercial flights.

TAM airlines' energy manager Paulas Figueiredo commented: "We have reached a new stage of the project. Our Jatropha curcas cultivation unit already conducts technical and economical viability studies to start the implementation of an integrated value chain in Brazil.

"With this cooperative work, we intend to accumulate technical, infrastructural, production-scale, and commercial-viability knowledge on biokerosene."

The jatropha curas biofuel project will now go to evaluation and screening to test the best varieties of the plant, which will then go into expanded cultivation by up to 30,000 hectares.

Posted by Claire Manning