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.
We’re going to need a bigger tank
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.”
What do you think of hydrogen’s place in the future of aviation? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.
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