EADS Backs Algae as Future Biofuel
Airbus parent company EADS is backing algae as the best source of sustainable jet fuel, arguing that other feedstocks will not allow the airline industry to meet its carbon-footprint reduction goals.
EADS Chief Technical Officer Jean Botti does not believe second-generation, plant-derived biofuels now under development offer sufficient life-cycle, carbon-dioxide reductions to replace petroleum-based jet fuel.
“I do not see today a real Plan B to replace kerosene,” he says. “We absolutely need to push third-generation biofuels made from algae.” Proponents argue only algae can be produced without competing with food for land or water.
