French Military Helicoper Flies with Fuel Made from Used Cooking Oil

The French General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) carried out on February 3 a first test flight of a military helicopter with 84% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

This is the first time in the world that a military helicopter has been able to fly with such a high content of sustainable aviation fuel in one of its two engines, a DGA release said Friday.

The fuel, prototyped specifically for this trial, was produced by TotalEnergies from used cooking oils using HEFA oil and fat hydrotreating technology.

Its production and use cycle has a carbon footprint four times less than that of a fossil-based aviation fuel, thus meeting the criterion of a minimum reduction of 65% required by the European Union to qualify. sustainable fuel.

This test made it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by 75%, without modifying the aircraft or the engine.

Leaving from the DGA Flight Tests expertise and test center in Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône), the helicopter was able to complete its flight in accordance with the established plan. This test was conducted with the participation of the Operational Energy Department (SEO) and the technical assistance of the manufacturers Safran Helicopter Engines, TotalEnergies and Airbus Helicopters.

The test carried out on one of the helicopter's two engines made it possible to test the characteristics of this fuel (consumption, engine power) and the operational consequences of its use (functioning of the fuel circuit, performance and thermal signature).
Several lines of work have been identified for the future: experiments over longer periods to check the good tolerance of the helicopter systems and its engines (absence of impact on service life and maintenance), or even the development of bio-based aromatics to further increase the proportion of sustainable fuel. When available with a 100% incorporation level, SAFs will offer the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 90%.
A test that is part of the defense energy strategy and the "Climate & Defense" strategy of the Ministry of the Armed Forces