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Source Green Air online
FedEx CEO commits to his freighter fleet meeting 30 percent of its aviation fuel use from biofuels by 2030
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Frederick W. Smith, CEO, FedEx speaking at US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit |
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Fri 15 May 2009 – FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith says the global logistics corporation is aiming to have 30 percent of its air transportation fuel needs met by second generation biofuels by 2030. At a conference in Washington DC, he called for funding of alternative fuel research be stepped up. FedEx, the world’s biggest freight carrier, has planned to cut its aviation CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 through fleet replacement and other initiatives (see story). At the same conference, Lufthansa CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber said his airline has targeted a 25% cut in CO2 emissions per kilometre flown by 2020.
The environment issue, said Smith, was of great importance but the aviation industry had been for some time trying to minimize noise, lower emissions and look for alternatives to petroleum…
The most innovative methods in aviation today focus on alternative fuels, stated Smith. “These fuels have reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum, their production does not compromise fresh water and land use requirements, and they do not rely on critical feedstocks such as those used in first generation biofuels. Second generation biofuels include inedible plants such as jatropha, algae, switchgrass and camelina.
“These non-fossil fuels must be capable of being easily mixed with existing petroleum-based aviation fuels which use existing infrastructure so that over time we will be using less fossil fuel as commercially feasible alternative fuels are developed on a larger scale.”
Smith outlined a ‘30 by 30’ goal which proposes that 30% of aviation fuel used by FedEx should come from alternative fuels by 2030.
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