The world’s largest aircraft manufacturer is collaborating with Canada’s aviation industry, the University of British Columbia and Amsterdam-based SkyNRG to turn forestry waste into sustainable aviation biofuel.

The project was announced Wednesday at the 2015 Canadian Bioeconomy Conference in Vancouver.

Boeing has in the past partnered with the Abu Dhabi-based Masdar Institute and the Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer to advance sustainable aviation biofuel development.

Under the latest initiative, a consortium that includes Boeing, Bombardier, Air Canada, WestJet, research institutions and industry partners will assess whether forestry waste could also be harnessed to produce sustainable aviation biofuel, Boeing said.

Thermochemical processing will be used for this, the company added.

“Sustainable aviation biofuel will play a critical role in reducing aviation’s carbon emissions over the long term,” said Julie Felgar, managing director of environmental strategy and integration at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“Canada is in a terrific position to leverage its sustainable forests to make environmental progress for its aviation industry and other transport sectors.”

Boeing said a 2015 company-sponsored study by UBC had found that aviation biofuel made from forest waste could meet 10 per cent, or about 175 million liters, of British Columbia’s annual jet fuel demand.

The Green Aviation Research and Development Network of Canada is funding the project as part of a portfolio of investments in technologies to reduce aviation’s carbon emissions.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that using sustainably produced biofuel will reduce lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by 50 to 80 per cent compared to conventional petroleum fuel.

The images are courtesy of Boeing, UBC and GARDN.