(SIM) DECARBONISING AVIATION UPDATE

Despite once being a futuristic dream, electric aircraft, like Airbus' proposed ZeroE, could be flying in our skies in the near future. Photo: Airbus

Could electric aircraft be the next sustainable alternative for domestic air travel? Research uncovered by Distrelec is pointing in that direction.

With recent advancements in aviation technology, it is estimated that by 2025 around a quarter of the industry will be electric or hybrid. Some in-development electric planes are capable of around 90 minutes of travel on a single charge. 

While sustainable medium and long-haul travel still has a way to go, given around half of all international flights fall into the short-haul category (totaling less than 500 miles), a switch to electric aircraft has the potential to slash emissions on domestic flights by 2.7 million tonnes in the United Kingdom alone.

Having analyzed over 100 flights departing airports across the British Isles, researchers at Distrelec have uncovered multiple routes that could realistically and reliably make the switch to electric.

One of the shortest domestic flights in the United Kingdom, a 38-minute hop between Belfast International and the Isle of Man, uses around 36kg of carbon dioxide per passenger. In 2019, the route served approximately 20,000 passengers – with a switch to electric aviation, 752 tonnes of carbon dioxide could be cut on the 76-mile flight.

Benefits could also be seen on longer domestic routes, including flights originating at London Gatwick and London Heathrow to Scottish cities, including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow. The longest service between Heathrow and Aberdeen currently takes around an hour and fifteen minutes, emitting 84kg of carbon dioxide per passenger.

While once a futuristic dream, the “inevitable shift” towards sustainable travel reflects a growing trend within the aviation industry. Since the launch of the United Nations net-zero carbon emissions initiative in 2020, airlines across the globe have signed up and firmly committed themselves to decreasing emissions and fossil fuel reliance by 2050. The demand has seen aircraft manufacturers dive head-first into development, from industry giants like Airbus and Boeing to smaller, independent startups.

One manufacturer, in particular, is seeing a significant surge in interest; Swedish electric aircraft startup, Heart Aviation. Currently holding letters of interest from United Airlines and Finnair, Heart's 19-seat ES-19 is set to be the first all-electric regional aircraft, boasting a 400km range with a full-charge time of just 40 minutes. The first flight is planned for 2024, with an anticipated 2026 start date. Simple Flying - link - Molly Russell - link - more like this (electric aviation) - link - more like this (decarbonising aviation) - link

(SIM) DECARBONISING AVIATION

ZeoAvia has the most aggressive timeline of hydrogen fuel-cell developers. Photo: United Airlines

Overall, there is a consensus that aviation will need a portfolio of environmentally friendly aeronautic technology in order to make progress towards decarbonization. However, industry sources say that to reach true net-zero, there is no alternative to green hydrogen - preferably as a direct fuel source.

During a webinar on the future of air mobility hosted by McKinsey, the consensus among the participants was clear - there is no other plausible alternative to hydrogen if aviation is to reach its net-zero emissions targets.

While most of the webinar's presenters have companies that stand to gain from the proliferation of hydrogen-propulsion technology, EU representatives also share the view that the greatest misconception about hydrogen is that there exists an alternative.

Ron van Manen, Head Of Strategic Development at Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European aeronautics industry, says whether or not it is in the form of e-fuels or directly powering the planes, hydrogen will be entirely essential.

"If we're going to accept the fact that aviation needs to be part of the solution in terms of climate neutrality, we're going to need hydrogen," van Manen said during the interview last week."

Synthetic kerosene 'inefficient'

Liquid e-fuels, where carbon atoms are attached to the hydrogen through a process of electrolysis and then burned, are a less-than-ideal option in terms of efficiency and only truly zero-emission when combined with direct air carbon capture technology.

However, some are quite forceful in their attack on the inefficiency of the use of synthetic kerosene as a drop-in fuel. Paul Eremenko, former CEO of Airbus Silicone Valley innovation center and founder of Universal Hydrogen,

"You're taking perfectly good green hydrogen, right. And you're saying, hey, I'm going to tack on carbon atoms to it. Then I'm going to burn those hydrocarbons at 35,000 feet. And then, I'm going to attempt to atone for the CO2 and the non-CO2 effects of a comparable magnitude. (...) This is total insanity, right? If you're an alien that comes to earth and looks at this, you'd be asking what is wrong with you people?"

Costs will be competitive

While many hydrogen-powertrain developers have a more modest timeline, ZeroAvia is aiming for a hydrogen-electric passenger flight between the UK and the Netherlands as soon as 2024. Furthermore, the company wants to have a powertrain for a 90-seat aircraft ready by 2027.

Its CEO, Val Miftakhov, says he believes wholeheartedly that the transition is going to happen. Macroeconomic principles of renewable energy will take care of the production costs compared to fossil fuels.

"For real transition - for fundamental transition - it's only about green hydrogen. And already you have economics of large projects today, green hydrogen projects, that are competitive on a per kilo or per-seat mile basis. If you use hydrogen and smaller regional aircraft, let's say, 20- to 30-seater aircraft, you could already be competitive." Simple Flying - link - Linnea Ahlgren - link - SAF - link - more like this - link

(AEV) SAF VERSUS HYDROGEN

There’s an ongoing debate about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) versus hydrogen when it comes to the subject of sustainable aviation. Some say that SAF is the best available solution right now, while others think that liquid hydrogen is the answer for long-term green aviation.

While the U.S. Government is investing millions of dollars into SAF development-related projects, and giants such as United Airlines are signing huge purchase agreements for alternatives to conventional fuel, a small startup in the Netherlands is slowly working on the world’s first manned liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft.

AeroDelft is an impressive company not just because of its very ambitious goal but also because its team consists of 50 students from various institutions, including TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Utrecht University, representing a total of 17 nationalities. Each of these students is bringing a unique expertise to Project Phoenix, set to become the first zero-emissions aircraft running entirely on liquid hydrogen.

The company was set up in 2018 and is currently working on both the 1:3 scale prototype and the full-scale version. The prototype (Phoenix PT) is an E-genius airplane with a wingspan of almost 20 feet (6 meters) and a maximum take-off weight of 110 lbs (50 kg). In comparison, the full-scale version (Phoenix FS) is a two-seater Sling 4 aircraft with a wingspan of almost 33 feet (10 meters) and a take-off weight of 2,000 lbs (920 kg).

Phoenix PT is powered by a 1,500 W fuel cell plus a battery pack, with hydrogen being kept in a cryogenic tank and warmed to 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) through a complex tubing system. The final version, however, will be powered by liquid hydrogen. Equipped with an electric motor and powered by 1 liter (0.2 gallons) of hydrogen, Phoenix will be able to fly for seven hours or cover 500 km (311 miles), which are remarkable endurance and range values - autoevolution - link - Otilia Dragan - link - more like this - link