Qatar, Shell bring new GTL jet fuel to market
Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Airways and Royal Dutch Shell have teamed up to unveil a new aviation jet fuel. Gas-to-liquids (GTL) jet fuel blended with synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) at the Pearl GTL plant in Qatar is now flowing into airplane tanks at Doha International Airport.
The companies claim this is the first new aviation fuel to be approved globally in two decades.
Representatives from the Qatari government and executives from Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Airways and Shell attended the inaugural fueling of a Qatar Airways aircraft with GTL jet fuel at the airport. A Qatar Airways Airbus A340-600 plane (Flight QR001) made history by being the first to fly outbound from Doha International Airport, en route to London Heathrow, using GTL jet fuel.
This is a significant milestone for the giant onshore Pearl GTL complex, which was jointly developed by Qatar Petroleum and Shell and is the largest energy project in Qatar.
Fully approved for use as an aviation fuel, GTL jet fuel is a blend of up to 50% GTL SPK meeting the requirements of ASTM-D-7566 and conventional crude oil-derived standard jet fuel (Jet A-1).
The chairman of Qatar Petroleum offered some prepared remarks to celebrate this achievement. He said: "The production of GTL jet fuel is a great achievement for Pearl GTL and the state of Qatar. GTL jet fuel will be supplied into the wider jet fuel pool at Doha International Airport, enabling the state of Qatar to enjoy the benefits of this product. It is indeed a historic moment for Qatar that the first aviation fuel to be approved globally in the last 20 years originates in Qatar."
GTL jet fuel from the Pearl GTL plant is marketed by Tasweeq for use solely within Qatar. The first production cargo of GTL jet fuel left the Pearl GTL plant on December 17, 2012, and was used in the inaugural flight departing from Doha International Airport.
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