Boeing, Embraer to Open Research Center for Sustainable Aviation Biofuel

May 13, 2014

Matthew Monaghan

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner is loaded with sustainable biofuels prior to flight.

Boeing and Embraer S.A. announced plans to open a joint research center to advance a sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil. The two companies will perform joint biofuel research, as well as fund and coordinate research with Brazilian universities and other institutions. The research will focus on technologies that address gaps in the supply chain for sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil, such as feedstock production and processing technologies. The companies' biofuel research center will be located in Sao Jose dos Campos Technology Park. In 2013, Boeing, Embraer, and the Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa of the State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP) completed an action plan—Flightpath to Aviation Biofuels in Brazil—that identified gaps in a potential biofuel supply chain. When produced sustainably, aviation biofuel emits 50 to 80% lower carbon emissions through its life cycle than petroleum jet fuel.