Guilt-Free Flying Still a Distant Dream: No Clear Alternative to Traditional Jet Fuel, Warn Scientists

Guilt-Free Flying Still a Distant Dream: No Clear Alternative to Traditional Jet Fuel, Warn Scientists

Guilt-Free Flying Still a Distant Dream: No Clear Alternative to Traditional Jet Fuel, Warn Scientists

According to a report by the Royal Society, guilt-free flying is still a long way off, as there is currently no clear alternative to traditional jet fuel.

Plans for climate-friendly flying depend on creating greener jet fuels that have a lesser impact on the environment, and switching to sustainable fuel is key to the UK government's aim to achieve "jet zero" flying by 2050. However, the authors of the report looked at four options for greener fuels to replace the 12.3m tonnes of jet fuel used annually in the UK, and concluded that none could replace fossil jet fuel in the short term.

Some airlines currently use small amounts of biofuel, mainly made from crops, and London Heathrow is the largest global user of biofuels. However, to produce enough biofuel to supply the UK aviation industry would require half of Britain's farming land, which could put pressure on food supplies. Fuel made from hydrogen produced with green electricity is another option, but the UK currently does not generate enough renewable electricity to make enough green hydrogen. Furthermore, existing plane engines cannot use hydrogen-based fuel. Ammonia and synthetic fuels are also under consideration, but they need even more green hydrogen, and it is unclear if existing planes could use them.

The authors of the report stress that, in the long term, a successful alternative fuel will probably be developed, but airplanes and airports will need to be redesigned. They are calling for more research into sustainable aviation fuel and suggesting that the UK could become a global leader if it invested in solving the problem. However, a new fuel needs to be financially viable, safe, usable around the world, and to have high enough energy density to be used on long-distance flights.

The trade body for UK airlines, Airlines UK, said that sustainable fuels were safe and increasingly commonplace, and that the sector was committed to the 2050 'jet zero' target. The organisation also stated that the UK had sufficient feedstocks, which would be drawn initially from household, commercial, agricultural, and forestry waste, and waste industrial gases. Airlines UK added that these feedstocks did not compete with food crops.

Environmental campaigners argue that the government must also encourage people to fly less. Climate charity Possible wants the government to tax frequent flyers, the small number of people who take around 70% of flights from UK airports. A Frequent Flyer Levy would target reduced demand among the group responsible for most of the environmental damage today, while leaving the annual family holiday untouched.

While the development of a sustainable aviation fuel that could replace fossil jet fuel is still in progress, it is not yet clear which alternative fuel will be most viable. It is likely that airplanes and airports will need to be redesigned to accommodate the new fuel. Therefore, reducing demand for flights through measures such as a Frequent Flyer Levy may be an important step towards achieving a more environmentally friendly aviation industry.

Share this article

Leave your comments

Post comment as a guest

0
terms and condition.
  • No comments found

Share this article

Susanna Koelblin

Commercialization & Sourcing Leader Focused On Circularity

From blockchain to recycling, Susanna talks about emerging technologies and circularity topics in the fashion industry.

   
Save
Cookies user prefences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Read more
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Accept
Decline