Garuda Indonesia, an Indonesian airline, is embarking on trials involving a jet fuel blend that incorporates palm oil into the engines of a Boeing aircraft, as part of a concerted endeavor to curtail emissions within the aviation domain.
Indonesia, the globe’s primary palm oil producer, is actively delving into the prospect of utilizing palm oil in fuel formulations to curtail the reliance on costly fossil fuel imports. In the year 2023, the nation introduced a biodiesel variant containing 35% palm oil, marking the highest mandated blend globally.
In line with Garuda’s official statement, the aviation enterprise is currently in the process of assessing the performance of jet fuel infused with 2.4% palm oil within the CFM56-7B engines of a B737-800 NG aircraft. These trials were initiated in the preceding week, signifying a substantial stride towards fostering an environmentally conscious and sustainable economy.
Subsequent to the engine-based trial, both ground and flight evaluations are slated for the upcoming month. Irfan Setiaputra, the CEO of Garuda, articulated that the airline is at the forefront among Indonesia’s commercial carriers in embarking upon experimentation with renewable energy sources.