The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has called for aircraft manufacturers to move to only producing net-zero emission planes by 2035 if the aviation industry is to reach its net-zero targets.
Release of the report has put a spotlight on aviation’s sustainability claims and highlighted the uphill battle the industry faces if it is to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a goal approved by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Go deeper with GlobalData
The high quantity of carbon emissions from the aviation industry has become one of the biggest sticking points in the world’s push to address the impact of climate change, with aircraft emissions from burning jet fuel highlighted as the primary source of carbon.
Aviation is still responsible for around 2% of the world’s total CO2 emissions according to data from IATA and the number could get higher as air travel gains in popularity, leaving some companies to work quickly on finding a more sustainable form of flying.
In response to the ICCT report, IATA told Airport Technology its roadmaps to net zero are in agreement with the report’s findings on the need for 100% SAF and hydrogen-powered aircraft. But it said carbon budgeting, as designed by ICCT, was not the right approach.
“Neither assuming a constant 2.4% share of emissions through 2050 nor averaging the carbon budgets from other assessments are appropriate in IATA’s view. The carbon budget from the MPP ORE, and the ICCT breakthrough scenarios have extremely optimistic assumptions about the contribution that operations, technologies, and SAF can provide particularly in the next 15 years,” a spokesperson said.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThe importance of hydrogen
While much of the industry’s recent interest has focused on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which can provide emissions reductions of up to 80%, one of the other key technologies highlighted in the report is hydrogen fuel, which is likely to be one of the first zero-emission alternatives to conventional jet fuel for large commercial aircraft.
Scott Pendry, director of external relations for Cranfield Aerospace Technology, a company developing hydrogen-electric propulsion, said the ICCT’s study made for a “very concerning report” by showing the scale of the challenge facing aviation.
He told Airport Technology: “There is no viable path to sustainable air travel that does not involve hydrogen on a large scale. Whether used in a fuel cell system or burned in gas turbines, hydrogen will play an integral role.”
While many of the leading manufacturers developing hydrogen aircraft or engines are only expecting to deliver the first commercial planes using the fuel in the 2030s, Cranfield is one of the few to be aiming for a much earlier launch.
The UK-based company is currently planning on certifying its hydrogen fuel cell system by 2026 and expects to see the first aircraft using its technology to enter passenger services the following year, though initially only with small aircraft carrying 9-19 passengers.
The timeline is similar to that of ZeroAvia, perhaps the biggest manufacturer dedicated to hydrogen-electric aircraft thanks to its deals with major industry players such as American Airlines.
The manufacturer is another bright point for the development of hydrogen-powered aircraft and is expecting to launch its first 10-20 passenger planes in 2025, with 100-200 seater vehicles expected soon after in 2029.
Developing a hydrogen-ready industry
Pendry said the launch of smaller aircraft on a commercial level should make it easier for the technology to grow, he said: “All the lessons learned by delivering smaller aircraft will benefit the introduction of larger hydrogen powered aircraft.
“Sub regional aircraft will help to develop the standards and regulations required to use hydrogen as an aviation fuel, enable the certification of the aircraft/propulsion technology, and also enable the use of hydrogen within airport, airline and maintenance organisations.”
The idea is one shared by one of the industry’s two big manufacturers, Airbus, which has been developing a network of hydrogen-ready airports through its “Hydrogen Hubs at Airports” programme.
The company has its own zero-emissions aircraft programme known as ZEROe, but has slightly more long-term ambitions compared to its smaller development counterparts, aiming to launch its first commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035.
The manufacturer told Airport Technology that it was currently evaluating various design concepts for a hydrogen aircraft and investing in “specific technology developments” before testing the fuel in flight.
A spokesperson said: “Developing the right aircraft, which will stay in the air for an average of 22-23 years, takes time. Airbus sees the increasing number of actors developing H2 propulsion solutions as very positive for the aviation industry and is supporting the development of a wider hydrogen ecosystem for aviation.”
Airbus also confirmed that it was collaborating with ZeroAvia on certification approaches for hydrogen propulsion systems to enable the company to “accelerate progress towards certification”.
It added: “The companies also intend to work together on a number of critical technical areas, including liquid hydrogen fuel storage, flight and ground testing of fuel cell propulsion systems, and development of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and operations.”
Alongside its work with ZeroAvia, Airbus is co-chair of an IATA “taskforce” on the impact of alternative fuels on aerodromes’ operations and infrastructure.
SAF’s role to play
However, despite the significant progress on hydrogen fuel by smaller developers, SAF is still likely to remain at the forefront of the sustainability plans for the industry’s biggest players with Airbus saying it maintains a “multi-faceted” approach to decarbonisation which includes enabling 100% SAF operations for its aircraft.
While the fuel has come under criticism for being too early in development to make a difference at a global scale, with airlines primarily using the fuel in small 1-5% blends for commercial flights, some companies continue to see it as a vital part of the net zero target.
Mukund Karanjikar, CEO of SAF manufacturer CleanJoule, is one of those figures, and maintains that more investment into the fuel will be a key part of reducing emissions.
Speaking to Airport Technology, he said: “Nothing provides absolute zero. The important aspect is ‘net zero’. SAFs can decarbonize more than 80 percent of aviation emissions and IATA says we need 65 percent contribution to come from SAF.
“As such we need 100%, full performance SAFs soon, which is what we’ve developed and are producing at CleanJoule.”
In fact, while hydrogen and electric propulsion appears to be a sure answer to the ICCT’s concerns about zero-emission aircraft, the organisation also said SAF would have a role to play in the move to reduce lifetime emissions of the industry’s current fleet.
For example, the report’s 2035 deadline for the move to only producing net zero aircraft is based on an optimistic scenario for SAF development and the ICCT includes planes running on 100% low-carbon SAF in its definition of net-zero aircraft.
Karanjikar said the industry will need to accelerate its current efforts to develop SAF if the industry is to get to 100% use by the deadline set by the ICCT and called on bigger manufacturers to step in.
He summarised: “The primary challenge remains: we need more SAF. Getting more midstream companies involved is an important aspect; pipelines, blenders, storage facilities etc. are all key to the midstream.”
