With the help of industrial partners, the Royal Air Force (RAF) has completed the world’s first military aircraft flight using 100% sustainable fuel from Air BP, the aviation division of energy major BP.
The RAF Voyager, which is based on the Airbus A330, took off from RAF Brize Norton and successfully completed a 90-minute flight with a crew that also included members from Rolls-Royce and Airbus to monitor the aircraft’s performance and handling when using 100% sustainable aviation fuel.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, who is Chief of the Air Staff, said that he had set the goal of becoming the first net-zero air force in the world by 2040 to address the challenges of climate change, adding that:
“…the RAF is already thinking about how we will operate beyond fossil fuels. This exciting trial flight of a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton powered entirely by Sustainable Aviation Fuel is an important milestone on that journey, and marks another technological first for the RAF alongside our industry partners.”
BP’s sustainable aviation fuel is made using waste, such as cooking oil, as feedstock. Compared to conventional aviation fuel, it can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 80% over the course of its lifecycle.
The business operations of BP are not limited to producing and supplying aviation fuel, of course. It also makes the Castrol range of advanced, high-quality lubricants, such as the polyalpha-olefin-based Castrol Alphasyn EP range of gear oil. Consult our expert team here at TrAchem to learn more about Castrol’s products.
