Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and its fuel supplier, World Fuel Services Inc., have finalized a three-year agreement that provides Gulfstream with a consistent supply of renewable fuels for its daily flight operations in Savannah.
The fuel is a 30/70 blend of low-carbon, drop-in renewable fuel and Jet-A. It provides the same performance as conventional, petroleum-based jet fuel and requires no changes to factory-standard engines or aircraft.
Each gallon of renewable fuel burned is expected to achieve a more than 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum-based jet fuel.
“This agreement with World Fuel is a testament to Gulfstream’s commitment to sustainability,” said Larry Flynn, president, Gulfstream. “We were the first in the business aviation industry to fly our full fleet to the National Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition on renewable fuels, and the Gulfstream G450 was the first business jet to cross the Atlantic using renewable fuels.”
With the new agreement, Flynn said, Gulfstream is expected to become the first business jet manufacturer to use renewable fuels on a day-to-day basis.
Gulfstream will initially use renewable fuels on its Airborne Product Support aircraft, which are operated by Gulfstream’s Savannah-based Field and Airborne Support Teams. The teams include technicians and flight crews who travel on dedicated Gulfstream G150 aircraft to deliver parts and/or people to Gulfstream operators within North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
In the last year, they completed more than 300 missions.
The fuel will also be used for corporate flights, flight-test aircraft and, eventually, customer aircraft.
The low-carbon, drop-in replacement fuel is derived from agricultural waste and is certified to meet the same industry specifications as petroleum Jet-A. World Fuel will manage the logistics of bringing the renewable fuel to Savannah.
In a news release, Gulfstream said its sustainability strategy supports the business aviation industry goals established by the National Business Aviation Association, the General Aviation Manufacturing Association and the International Business Aviation Council. Those goals include carbon-neutral growth by 2020, an improvement in fuel efficiency by an average of 2 percent a year until 2020, and a reduction in total carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent by 2050 relative to 2005.
ABOUT GULFSTREAM
Gulfstream has produced more than 2,200 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. The company employs more than 15,000 people at 12 major locations. For more information, go to www.gulfstreamnews.com.
