World first: Flying high on pond scum

by Actual News Geezer | July 18, 2007 at 01:23 pm

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If someone had suggested 10 years ago that a major airlines was investigating the use of pond scum as a possible alternative to regular jet fuel, they would have been laughed out of the waiting lounge. But here it is:

Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with Blenheim-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world's first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae.

If the project pans out the small and relatively new New Zealand company could lead the world in environmentally sustainable aviation fuel.

It's understood Air NZ is undertaking risk analysis. If everything stacks up it will make an aircraft available on the Tasman to test the biofuel.

The fuel is essentially derived from bacterial pond scum created through the photosynthesis of sunlight and carbon dioxide on nutrient-rich water sources such as sewage ponds.