Aviation biofuel from renewable resources: Routes, opportunities and challenges

Air transport describes an inevitable part in the day to day life of the modern world. It is highly responsible for the worldwide social contacts and business developments. The use of petroleum fuels as energy source for air transport is not sustainable. Aviation is one of the leading contributors to the total greenhouse gas emissions. Also, the fossil fuel prices are becoming more volatile day by day. So it is very essential to introduce and industrialize alternative aviation fuels generated from renewable resources, especially biomass. A number of industrial commitments and collaborations have emerged to find alternative ways to reach bio aviation fuels. Research on the conversion of biomass based sources to bio jet fuels is of current interest. The main concern is the production of biojet fuel, from renewable resources, with relatively low greenhouse gas life cycle and sustainability with affordable price. The present paper overviews the opportunities and challenges in the development of alternative fuels for aviation. The production process, feedstock used and the most promising global projects are also reviewed. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.