Air NZ to power plane with nut oil
Air New Zealand will trial flying a jumbo jet partly powered by nut oil later this year, the Sunday Mail reported. It said the company was testing the power of the jatropha curcus, a nut which grows in tropical, semi-arid regions.
The world-first trial flying a Boeing 747-400 partly on nut juice is part of the airline’s ambitious plan to have 10% of its fleet operating on hybrid fuels within five years. The report said the three-hour flight from Auckland airport would be the world’s first flight test using jatropha fuel on a large passenger aircraft. If it is successful, Air New Zealand expects to use a million barrels a year of the nut fuel annually by 2013.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe was quoted saying that the carrier was committed to being at the forefront of testing environmentally sustainable fuels.
“We are confident our hard work with partners like Boeing together with efforts of many of our peers will see a step change sooner than many people realise.”
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