A Qantas plane powered partly by mustard seed oil has become the world’s first biofuel flight between Australia and the United States, after landing in Melbourne.
The 15-hour flight used a blended fuel that was 10% derived from the brassica carinata, an industrial type of mustard seed that functions as a fallow crop – meaning it can be grown by farmers in between regular crop cycles.
The world-first used a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9 on a scheduled passenger service, QF96, and reduced carbon emissions by 7% compared with the airline’s usual flight over the same LA to Melbourne route.
Compared pound for pound with jet fuel, carinata biofuel reduces emissions by 80% over the fuel’s life cycle.
Daniel Tan, an agriculture expert from the University of Sydney, said mustard seed could double as a valuable crop and a source of sustainable fuel for farmers. “Almost within a day after harvesting, they can press the oil out in their own shed and use it straight into their tractors,” he said.
