29 NOVEMBER 2010

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Article from BTNews 29 NOVEMBER 2010

TAM operates first biofuel flight in Latin America

An Airbus A320 operated by Brazilian airline TAM last week became the first South American aircraft to fly fuelled by biofuel.  And not just any biofuel, an aviation biofuel produced from a Brazilian vegetable biomass the oil of the Jatropha curcas.  The flight was the result of a partnership between TAM, Airbus, CFM International and Air BP.

The Airbus A320 (PR-MHF) normally operates in a 174-passenger configuration on the company’s domestic Brazilian flights.  In addition to the pilots, 18 other passengers, technicians and executives from TAM and Airbus, were on the flight.

The next step in this innovative project is to implement and establish a crop of Jatropha curcas, in reduced scale, at TAM’s Technological Centre in São Carlos, located in the countryside in the state of São Paulo.  The vegetable biomass, source of the aviation bio-kerosene used in the experimental flight, is 100% Brazilian, from family agricultural projects and sizeable farms in Brazil that are dedicated to the pioneer culture of the Jatropha curcas.  Known in Brazil as pinhão manso, it is a plant that does not compete with the food chain because it is not suitable for human or animal consumption, and can be planted alongside pastures and food crops. www.tam.com.br

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