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Plant-based jet fuel to U.S. Air Force for testing

Photo courtesy of Virent.

May 6, 2013 - Virent has announced the delivery of 100 gallons of its bio-based jet fuel to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for testing purposes.

Product testing will begin at Wright Patterson Air Force Base to validate Virent’s jet fuel against the standards required for qualification and approval of new aviation turbine fuels established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The validation plan includes fit-for-purpose, fuel system and combustor rig testing. Dr. Tim Edwards of the AFRL’s Fuels and Energy Branch said, “AFRL is looking forward to working with Virent and the FAA to evaluate the performance of this fuel. This larger sample will help generate the performance data needed to advance the technology toward engine and flight testing.”

The jet fuel was produced at a new Virent demonstration plant built to produce drop-in jet and diesel fuels from 100% renewable plant sugars. The plant was constructed at the company’s facility in Madison, Wisconsin under a $1.5 Million award received in 2011 from the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, and commissioned in January. It has the capacity to produce up to 5,000 total gallons of fuel per year.

Lourdes Maurice, Executive Director of the FAA’s Office of Environment and Energy said, “We are excited that Virent is able to effectively utilize FAA funding to deliver these gallons for testing. The fuel will be used with our partners in the industry and government to progress testing of novel alternative jet fuels that can help meet FAA’s environment and energy goals under the Next Generation Air Transportation System.”

“The successful operation of our new distillate demonstration plant and the validation of Virent’s plant-based jet fuel will advance our efforts to achieve ASTM-certified jet fuel and to prepare for commercial scaling,” said Virent Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Randy Cortright. “In addition, we would like to thank the FAA, AFRL, and Royal Dutch Shell for participating on the project team and acting in advisory roles.”

About Virent

Virent's patented technology features catalytic chemistry to convert plant-based materials into a full range of products identical to those made from petroleum, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and chemicals for plastics and fibers. The products are drop-in replacements that enable full utilization of existing logistics infrastructure without blending limitations.

For more information on Virent, please visit www.Virent.com.

May 6, 2013  By Virent