Boeing, China National Petroleum Corporation, and representatives from China's National Energy Administration and aviation industry have jointly signed a memorandum of understanding on evaluating the possible benefits of a sustainable aviation biofuel industry in China to the environment and the social economy.

The evaluation, which is expected to be commenced in June 2010, will focus on each sector of sustainable aviation biofuel development, including agronomic studies, energy import and export, the whole life span emission analysis, infrastructure and government policy support. As part of the sustainable aviation biofuel agreement signed by the NEA and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the MOU is aimed at promoting the development of a new biofuels industry in China.

In addition, Boeing's research and development department has signed a MOU with Qingdao Institute of BioEnergy and Bioprocess Technology — a department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences — on collaborative research. The parties have announced that they will establish a joint research lab to engage in the development of algal planting, harvesting, and processing technologies. The lab, which will be based in Qingdao and under the joint management of Boeing's R&D center in China and QIBEBT, will focus on the commercialization of R&D technologies.

In addition, Air China, PetroChina, Boeing and UOP have signed an agreement to use sustainable aviation fuels that produced from biomass planted and processed in China for the first demonstration flight. PetroChina will be responsible for supplying the biomass material and UOP will process the raw material into aviation fuel. Details of the demonstration flight will be released later.