Syntroleum Corporation,
TULSA: Syntroleum, a leader in Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology, announced today that its ultra-clean jet fuel has been successfully tested in a United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress Bomber aircraft. The plane lifted off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., with a 50/50 blend of FT and traditional JP-8 jet fuel which was burned in two of the eight engines on the plane. This marks the first time that FT jet fuel has been tested in a military flight demo, and is the first of several planned test flights. This landmark event is a result of more than four years of successful research and development efforts with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), focused on producing a high performance alternative fuel for military applications.
“The program culminating in the test flight today is the first step in opening up new horizons for sourcing fuel for military purposes,” said Bill Harrison, a fuels expert with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
The fuel was produced at Syntroleum's FT demonstration facility near Tulsa, Okla. where it has produced over 400,000 gallons of ultra clean products. This flight test is part of the DOD's Assured Fuel Initiative, an effort to develop secure domestic sources for the military's energy needs. The Pentagon hopes to reduce its use of crude oil and foreign producers and get about half of its aviation fuel from alternative sources by 2016.
“This historic flight demonstrates that our fuel can meet the stringent fuel requirements of the DOD and we believe that this successful test can provide the military with the necessary data to validate the quality and integrity of our product,” said Jack Holmes, president and CEO of Syntroleum. “This test is a significant milestone for Syntroleum and is a result of more than four years of research and development efforts with the DOD focused specifically on producing high performance alternative fuel for military applications. The acceptance of our FT fuels further validates the quality and integrity of our product and we believe the successful completion of this test provides Syntroleum with an opportunity for additional long-term contracts with the military.”
Syntroleum's jet fuel has shown superior performance characteristics compared to traditional aviation fuels. Prior testing by the military on the company's FT fuels have shown a reduction in particulate matter and soot emissions of greater than 90 percent depending upon the turbine engine type compared to aviation fuels produced by refining crude oil. The reduced particulate matter and soot emissions significantly improve engine efficiency, performance and overall air quality. In addition to the company's work with the DOD, Syntroleum's technology and FT products have been successfully tested in several government programs through the U.S. Department of Energy's ultra clean fuels program and with academic research institutions and auto manufacturers. In fact, one of the shuttle buses used today at Edwards Air Force Base is running Syntroleum's diesel fuel as part of an ongoing road test.
The jet fuel that was used today was produced from natural gas using Syntroleum's proprietary FT process, but the company believes the fuel can also be produced from the vast domestic coal resources. The potential to produce these fuels from domestic resources and the opportunity for long-term supply agreements with the DOD provides a mechanism for diversifying the nation's energy supply and increasing domestic job growth. In addition to military applications, successful testing of Syntroleum's FT jet fuel could lead to opportunities with commercial airlines.
Syntroleum Corporation owns a proprietary process for converting natural gas or synthesis gas derived from coal and other carbon-based feedstock into synthetic liquid hydrocarbons. The company plans to use its technology to develop and participate in natural gas and coal monetization projects in a number of global locations.
