Unprecedented: Renewable Fuel Made from Used Cooking Oil Powers World’s First Sustainable Helicopter to Take Flight

The Helicopter That Used Renewable Fuel Has Only 1 Turbine and Was the First to Fly with the Technology Achieved by the Company Bell Textron

A historic milestone was achieved by the company Bell Textron in Texas! For the First Time, the Company Used Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in a helicopter that has only 1 turbine, called the Bell 505. Before this achievement, the company only used renewable fuel in multi-engine airplanes, according to the website Petrosolgas.

Along with Bell Textron, the project includes Safran Helicopter Engines, which provided the helicopter’s engine; GKN Aerospace, which supplied the renewable fuel system SAF; Neste, which manufactured the fuel; and Virent, which also produced it.

Oil, a Thing of the Past

The companies Neste and Virent collaborated to produce and distribute renewable aviation fuel based on raw materials such as used cooking oil. To produce it, the companies generally use mixtures with petroleum products, due to the lack of a component called aromatic, necessary to meet aviation specifications.

Virent manufactured its own aromatic component, made from plant-derived sugars, and this produced mixture was added to the renewable fuel. In other words, the fuel used in the helicopter is a 100% compatible substitute for fuel that uses petroleum.

According to the Vice President of Programs at Safran Helicopter Engines, Valentin Safir, renewable fuel is of utmost importance for decarbonizing the helicopter industry. Furthermore, the company’s goal is to certify the use of 100% renewable fuel over the next few years, even though the company’s engines are certified to operate on up to 50% of the fuel. If the company’s goal is met, its use could reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% over the helicopter’s lifecycle.

The Renewable Fuel

SAF, or Sustainable Aviation Fuel, is a fuel made from renewable and sustainable sources like biomass, agricultural and forestry waste, used cooking oil, etc.

This aviation fuel can greatly contribute to reducing gas emissions by up to 80%, unlike the conventional fossil fuels that have been used for years and are responsible for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions. This reduction in gas emissions is due to the much lower carbon footprint of renewable fuel.

The use of renewable aviation fuel is a strategy of the sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to advance sustainability goals.