South Africa: Rolls-Royce, Oil Firms Team Up On Synthetic Jet Fuel

In a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation industry, aircraft manufacturer Airbus and engine maker Rolls-Royce have joined forces with petroleum companies.

They will explore likely benefits of using synthetic jet fuels.
Airlines operating in SA’s relatively uncrowded skies have not been under the same pressure as airlines in the UK and Europe over emission targets.

However, as global pressure mounts for all countries to contribute to cutbacks in emissions, carriers in SA will find themselves compelled to meet stricter environmental standards.

SA is Africa’s largest emitter of harmful greenhouse gases, according to the World Resources Institute’s last published estimate. It ranks as the 19th biggest emitter in absolute terms.

The two European companies have partnered with Shell, state-owned Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Fuel Company, Qatar Airways and Qatar Science and Technology Park to study the benefits of using gas-to-liquid synthetic jet fuels in aviation engines.

allAfrica