Decarbonizing Aviation: Exploring Synthetic Fuels and E-Fuels for Sustainable Flight

2023-09-25 13:42:15

Synthetic fuels or e-fuels, which combine hydrogen – produced from carbon-free sources such as renewable energies – and CO2 captured in the air or in industrial fumes, constitute one of the ways to decarbonize the aviation sector. The process, however, requires a large quantity of green electricity to be produced, which Germany does not have, notes the boss of Lufthansa.

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Overseas production

Because it has not been scaled to an industrial scale, this fuel also remains much more expensive than kerosene of fossil origin. It therefore appears “realistic” to Carsten Spohr to produce this synthetic fuel “abroad, where wind or solar energy is available in practically unlimited quantities”, he added, without naming a specific country. This path will be “long, but it’s the right one,” according to him.

Aviation represents 2 to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Synthetic fuel should, however, remain a transitional technology, according to manufacturers in the sector, who are already working on the next stage of decarbonization involving aircraft flying on hydrogen. The aircraft manufacturer Airbus is developing technologies which should make it possible to launch a first hydrogen-powered aircraft in 2035, probably for short-distance routes.

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