Alternative Fuel

Despite the severe economic slowdown and lower oil prices, governments, airlines, engine makers and chemical companies are working towards developing viable, alternate fuel to negate green house effects, as also reduce the operating costs-fuel forming the bulk of airline costs. Research has gone along two directions, the earlier Fisher Tropsch process tried in the second World War, using coal and biomass chemically converted to petroleum substitutes. But with caps on carbon emissions, the second one, based on plant derivatives and therefore supremely beneficial to the environment is being pursued seriously. The process is one of hydrogenation-fuel developed from the jatropha or camelina plant.