Six years after reaching the first goal, the only thing clear is that there is not enough sustainable fuel to serve the entire sector
When a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 flew from London to New York in late November with its two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines powered exclusively by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the event was celebrated as a important milestone on aviation’s path to zero emissions net carbon.
While it showed how far aviation has come in its journey to reduce harmful emissions, Flight VS100 also illustrated how far the sector still has to gosaid Robert Thomson, aerospace partner at global management consultancy Roland Berger.
While demonstrating decarbonisation and industry collaboration, Virgin’s SAF-only flight was a high-profile lobbying initiative to illuminate the lack of sufficient and aligned government policies to support non-fossil fuels for aviation.
“There are simply not enough SAFs,” stated the airline’s CEO, Shai Weiss, which is why achieving 100% fossil-free flights will not be routinely achieved any time soon.
“It is clear that to achieve production at scale, we need significantly more investment. This will only happen when there is regulatory certainty and price support mechanisms, backed by the government,” Weiss added.
A week later, Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), declared that SAF, as a proportion of all renewable fuel production, would grow from 3% this year to 6% in 2024but added that to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, “aviation needs between 25% and 30% of renewable fuel production capacity for SAF.”
Robert Thomson goes further and asks: “When we talk about net zero emissions, what do we really mean? Net zero carbon? Or the zero net impact of aviation on the climate?”.
“Carbon is one thing. But when you combine contrails, NOx (nitrous oxides) and carbon, you get maybe two to three times the impact of airplanes on the environment than carbon alone.”
Thomson highlights what is quickly becoming aviation’s next big ecological problem: the additional damage caused by non-CO2 emissions, a VS100 flight key focus.
He explained that an example is that fossil fuels for airplanes contain aromatics, natural elements that serve as vital seals to prevent fuel leaks inside the engines. Because these burn more slowly than other fuel elements, soot particles are expelled into the atmosphere.
On the other hand, under specific conditions water vapor freezes around the particles forming vapor stelae or marquesinas They trap heat in the air, exacerbating the warming effects of aviation. But SAF will help reduce them.
Sustainable aromatic kerosene
On flight VS100, the 88% of the fuel came from recycled waste fats and oilswhile sustainable aromatic kerosene, or SAK, comprised the remaining 12% and performed the sealing function of the aromatics.
Air BP provided the SAF, while the SAK came from Virent, part of Marathon Petroleum, allowing Virgin and Rolls-Royce to demonstrate how 100% non-fossil fuel could safely and cleaner power large, long-range aircraft.
Airframe and engine manufacturers are targeting 2030 for approval of 100% SAF for commercial passenger aircraft and have tested or are working to test the new fuel, which is double the currently approved maximum blend of 50/50 SAF/fuels. fossils.
There have also been carried out other tests of SAF 100%, including a Gulfstream corporate jet a week before VS100, Boeing-NASA tests on a Boeing 737 Max and on one of the four engines of an Emirates A380 around the time his hometown, Dubai, hosted the Conference the UN on Climate Change (COP28).
But who will fly with 100% SAF? Most progressive airlines that adopt it commit to a maximum of 10% by 2030 to reduce, but not eliminate, CO2 emissions. And there is widespread concern that there won’t be enough to meet those goals.
Along with air navigation reform, new aircraft and engines, and more SAF production lines, Roland Berger says the industry “should agree that non-CO2 emissions are an important part of the climate footprint of aviation and align with a standardized approach.
Flight VS100 was a step in the right direction. But with pressure to further reduce emissions intensifying, it is still too early to celebrate.
2023-12-19 21:46:03
#fly #SAF
