There is exciting news on the alternative fuels front this Green Tuesday. You may have read recently that Southwest is one of seven ATA member airlines to sign a letter of intent to negotiate the purchase of fuel derived from biomass.
To produce the fuel, Solena Fuels will utilize biomass, which is post-recycled urban and agricultural wastes. By using this biomass, approximately 550,000 metric tons of waste will be diverted that would otherwise go to a landfill. Solena plans to use the biomass at its Northern California plant to produce up to 16 million gallons of neat jet fuel (as well as 14 million gallon equivalents of other energy products) per year by 2015 to support airline operations at Oakland (OAK), San Francisco (SFO) and/or San Jose (SJC). The jet fuel will have lower emissions of greenhouse gases and local pollutants than petroleum-based fuels.
Southwest is an active member of CAAFI (Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative), which is dedicated to the development and deployment of commercially viable, environmentally-friendly alternative aviation fuels. This is the first approved commercially viable fuel and plant, and Southwest is excited to be a part of this initiative. This is one more effort in a long line of environmental initiatives that help Southwest make decisions that will help our Planet and support our business, including electric ground support equipment and renewable energy credits for wind and solar power.
We will continue to remain engaged and actively investigating other opportunities that make sense for Southwest. We are committed to being a sustainable Company, and initiatives like this one will help us continue to honor that commitment. Share your Green tips in the comments section!
DING! You are now free to be Green.
