The “Green Hornet” F18 fighter jet is now using domestic, renewable biofuels. Image credit: U.S. Department of the Navy

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) provides an overview of the current state of alternative aviation fuels in a new report, Alternative Aviation Fuels: Overview of Challenges, Opportunities, and Next Steps. The assessment is based upon findings from recent peer-reviewed studies, scientific working groups and BETO stakeholder input provided during a September 2016 Alternative Aviation Fuel Workshop.

Important drivers for development of alternative jet fuels include domestic energy security, diversity of fuel supplies, less fuel price volatility and lower long-term fuel cost. Ancillary benefits involve growth of the bioeconomy with associated job creation and employ­ment opportunities as well as environmental and sustainability benefits.

While catalytic upgrading of ethanol, pyrolysis and other conversion pathways have been approved for bio-based aviation fuels, remaining technical, social and regulatory barriers have limited both the production of bio-derived jet fuel and the growth of the industry. Challenges and opportunities are identified:

• Advance progress needed to achieve affordable, scalable and sustainable production of aviation biofuels.
• Increase the economic and technical competitiveness of aviation biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass.
• Enhance the environmental and sustainability benefits of aviation biofuels.
• Ensure robust feedstock and product supply chains to support the development and deployment of aviation biofuels.

The report covers economic and technical competitiveness, fuel conversion and scale-up, environmental and sustainability and life-cycle benefits, and feedstock and product supply chains.