Executives said the key partners in the bio-jet fuel project - which
converts plants or biodegradable waste into energy - have been Qatar
Airways, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Science and Technology Park and Airbus. In
October 2009, Qatar Airways, as part of an effort to develop alternative
fuel, powered a commercial flight from London to Doha with gas-to-liquid, or
GTL, fuel.
"Building on the experience and success of the GTL consortium, we now
move to the next phase of alternative fuels while continuing to develop GTL
further," Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said.
In late 2009, Qatar concluded a feasibility study on bio-jet fuel as
well as byproducts. Executives said the study reviewed current technology and the prospect for future development.
"This is a great example of an effective multi-partner collaborative
research and development program that is already producing successful
results," Qatar Science chairman Tidu Maini said.
Qatar and Airbus have agreed to establish a panel that would conduct
research into bio-jet fuel as well as draft an investment strategy.
Executives said Qatar Airways would be the first client of the fuel.
"By entering into the production and supply of bio jet fuels, we will be
able to get closer and closer to the much-talked-about carbon neutral
growth," Al Baker told a Jan. 11 news conference.