Air NZ first to trial sustainable biofuel

Air New Zealand says it will fly the world's first commercial aviation test flight to be powered by a sustainable second-generation biofuel next month.

The two hour Boeing 747-400 test flight from Auckland on December 3 will use a jatropha based fuel, which has been certified by engine maker Rolls-Royce.

The jatropha plant produces seeds that contain inedible lipid oil that is used to produce fuel.

Air New Zealand has sourced and refined the oil for its test flight from south eastern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania) and India.

It was sourced from seeds grown on environmentally sustainable farms.

Rolls-Royce fuels specialist Chris Lewis said the fuel was a 50:50 blend of standard Jet A1 fuel and synthetic paraffinic kerosene derived from jatropha oil.

- NZPA