A China Eastern (MU) passenger plane powered by so-called "gutter oil" took off at 5:43 AM, Wednesday from Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), making it the first gutter oil fuelled flight in China, Eastday.com reported.

The Airbus A320 undertook a 90-minute test-flight during which it was powered entirely by biofuel refined from gutter oil and palm oil.

The plane completed all programmed tests before landing safely. All data acquired during the flight will be used in further research.

Experts from Sinopec, China's second largest oil giant said that gutter oil, made from discarded animal parts and vegetable grease, agricultural and forestry wastes, and algae oil could all be refined into biofuel.

According to petrochemical insiders, aviation biofuel will reduce carbon emissions by as much as 92 percent compared with traditional jet fuels such as aviation kerosene. In addition, existing jet engine technology would not require any modification in order to burn biofuel.

China Eastern noted that it held the independent intellectual property rights over its aviation biofuel technology, adding that the company plans to increase the usage of biofuels on its commercial routes. The airline, however, gave no indication of when it might introduce large-scale biofuel powered flights.

China Eastern's test flight was not the first gutter oil powered flight. In July 2012, KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) conducted a successful one, while in January 2009 a Continental Airlines (which later merged to become United Airlines) Boeing-737 used a seaweed extracts-based biofuel to complete North America's first biofuel powered flight.

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