Lufthansa to use Neste Oil's renewable fuel from spring 2011

(ADPews) - Dec 1, 2010 - Finnish oil refining company Neste Oil Oyj (HEL:NES1V) said that German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG (ETR:LHA) will start flights using its renewable jet fuel next spring.

Lufthansa will be the first air carrier to use renewable fuel on ordinary scheduled flights. It is still waiting for official approval by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), expected in the spring of 2011.

Initially, Lufthansa will launch flights using the alternative fuel between Frankfurt and Hamburg. The aircraft operating the route will use a 50/50 mix of Neste's jet fuel and fossil-based fuel in one engine, while the other engine will use conventional fuel.

From 2012 onwards flights to and from European Union (EU) destinations will be included in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme. As a result, air carriers will be required to moderate their emissions via emission certificates or renewable fuels. The move is part of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) target for carbon dioxide (CO2) free aviation from 2020 onwards.

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