China successfully tests first flight using Sinopec's new aviation biofuel
By WAYNE MA
BEIJING -- China Petrochemical Corp., known as Sinopec Group, said Wednesday that it has successfully completed the first test flight of a commercial airplane in China using jet fuel that was independently developed and made from biomatter.
A China Eastern Airlines Corp. passenger airplane took off from an airport in Shanghai and traveled for about 90 minutes using the fuel, which is made from palm oil and restaurant oil, Sinopec said in a release.
Sinopec said the fuel was certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Sinopec, the country's largest refiner, said it produces 70% of China's jet fuel and began developing biofuel for jets in 2009. The company established a production base at a subsidiary in Zhenhai, which produced the jet fuel used in the test flight, it added.
Sinopec said it produced jet fuel from palm oil in 2011 and from restaurant oil in 2012. China is the fourth country to independently produce jet fuel from biomatter after the US, France and Finland, it added.
Dow Jones Newswires
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