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Business

Solazyme Algae Fuel Powers United Jet

by Michael McCoy
November 14, 2011 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 89, Issue 46

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Credit: Solazyme
A United jet is filled with fuel that is partly algae-derived.
A United jet is filled with fuel containing algae-derived oil. Flight                  1403 from Houston to Chicago last week was fueled with 60% traditional jet fuel                  and 40% Solajet from the algal oils firm Solazyme.
Credit: Solazyme
A United jet is filled with fuel that is partly algae-derived.

United Airlines has logged the world’s first commercial aviation flight to be powered by a microbially derived biofuel. Flight 1403 from Houston to Chicago on Nov. 7 ran on 60% traditional jet fuel and 40% Solajet from the algal oils firm Solazyme. Solazyme has signed a letter of intent to supply United with up to 70,000 metric tons per year of renewable jet fuel starting in 2014. The company expects its overall capacity to make algal oils to reach 500,000 metric tons per year by 2015.

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