Boeing completed the world's first flight using "green diesel," a sustainable biofuel that is widely available and used in ground transportation. The company powered its ecoDemonstrator 787 flight test airplane December 2, 2014 with a blend of 15 percent green diesel and 85 percent petroleum jet fuel in the left engine. Shown here, the ecoDemonstrator 787 is fueled with a green diesel blend at Boeing Field in Seattle.

Sustainable green diesel is made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil and waste animal fats. Boeing previously found that this fuel is chemically similar to HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) aviation biofuel approved in 2011. Green diesel is chemically distinct and a different fuel product than "biodiesel," which also is used in ground transportation.