Jet fuel is a 22-billion-gallon per year market in the United States and about 80 billion gallons per year
worldwide.1
Biofuels have made inroads into gasoline and diesel fuel supplies, but are only beginning to
enter the jet fuel market. “Biojet” is a term that describes fuel made from renewable, biologically derived
raw materials and, once blended with petroleum jet fuel, is suitable for use in an unmodified jet
engine. “Alternative jet fuel” is a more general term that describes jet fuel blending components made
from biogenic and fossil (e.g. coal, natural gas, industrial waste gases, or the non-biogenic portion of
municipal solid waste) feedstocks. There are several reasons for interest in biojet. Airlines and the U.S.
Department of Defense are looking to biojet to diversify fuel supplies and lower fuel costs in the long
run. As with other transportation modes, greenhouse gases are a concern for aviation. The
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations body that sets standards and
recommended practices for international aviation, has set a goal for international aviation to achieve
carbon-neutral growth from 2020.2 . . . .