Imagine a future in which airplanes are sustainable and efficient or that a medium-haul flight does not negatively impact our atmosphere. This is precisely what is now on the table: discover the revolutionary fuel that already has a release date, which will mean a before-and-after for mankind. Do you know what we are talking about?
Aviation industry takes stock of its pollution: it is unacceptable and unexpected
Though small, aviation’s contribution to global emissions represents a challenge for decarbonization initiatives. Efficiency gains in aircraft design cannot cope with this sector’s growth.
In 2022, aviation represented 2% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, and growth and rebound are projected to happen post-pandemic. In fact, we are now polluting more from short-haul flights than ever before.
The aviation emissions need a multidimensional solution which covers low emission fuel, airframe and engine improvements, operational improvements, and demand management.
The date when airplanes will fly on this revolutionary fuel
Given the traffic of the rising air travel emissions, the plan to have the hydrogen-powered commercial flights gone through by 2028 are already under way. The sectoral impact is to be addressed by the goal of the competition which is to provide employment in the green energy options.
Not only Airbus but also Airbus has promised to make a zero-emission plane by the year 2035, a sign of the turn toward the green aviation. This is the company, betting on decarbonization above all the rest.
Essence is the combustion engines do not perform efficiently anymore but also are not as cheap as electric engines. The electric engines are as renewable as the airline industry may want in the future. This has to do with the major companies and they are looking for the adequate answers.
Hydrogen is a promising alternative to overcome greenhouse emissions problem in aviation because of its high energy density and carbon dioxide free when produced from renewable sources.
However, hydrogen as the fuel requires the aircraft redesigning to fix the storage and distribution problems. But hydrogen breeds great market opportunities and also contributes to emissions free flights aided by renewable energy.
Advantages of hydrogen for aircraft revealed in detail
Further elaborating on the benefits of hydrogen, Michel van Ierland, a member of the consortium helmed by Unified International and the Dutch regional economic development agency, has come up with a concept of using hydrogen in airplanes.
According to Van Ierland the scheme would open up a €16 billion market for the Netherlands, showing that sustainable aviation could contribute to economic growth at the same time as addressing environmental issues.
The aviation industry requires a redesign of aircraft to cope with the peculiarities of this pure energy source- hydrogen. Unlike the conventional fuel stored in the wing, hydrogen capsules would be housed at the end of the plane.
This is critical in terms of requiring changes to aircraft structures and designs. However, the benefits of hydrogen adoption are obvious, such as the specific energy per unit mass 3 times higher than that of traditional jet fuel.
Aviation sector can reduce its carbon footprint significantly utilizing electrolysis derived hydrogen from renewable energy sources without offering compromises on performance or range. Nevertheless, the hydrogen production and storage have technical problems that the solutions should be found to ensure its usability as a green aviation alternative.
It is clear that this fuel has a lot to prove to us, and the same will be true for hydrogen airplanes. The addition of this new way of flying opens a new window into the decarbonization we have set out to achieve in America over the next few decades. Will we see the Biden administration make grants? So far, nothing is on the table.