Produced from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, the aim is to take a bite out of aviation’s ecological footprint. The one thing you can’t put your finger on about synthetic kerosene – which, according to the announcement, will be produced in Germany for the first time in the world – is that it’s cheap.
The price of the fuel produced in the new plant in Werlte will initially be much higher than that of conventional kerosene. Although it is not known how much the first customer, Lufthansa, will pay for the synthetic kerosene, the CEO of Atmosfair, the company that owns the plant, says that €5 per litre is a price that can be achieved by 2030: that alone is many times the current price of conventional kerosene. The question is who will pay the extra, and according to Dorothea von Boxberg, head of Lufthansa Cargo, everyone involved in aviation: the end consumer, the intermediary companies, as well as the companies in the aviation industry, reports ABC News.
In other words, prices are expected to rise, but why is it worth it, and what makes kerosene environmentally friendly in the first place? Aviation currently accounts for 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions, and while other modes of transport and travel are increasingly electrified, aviation is still only a trial run. Examples include the growing number of passenger aircraft being developed, Rolls-Royce’s electric plane which spent a quarter of an hour in the air, and the world’s largest electric plane, a converted Cessna Grand Caravan 208, which flew for half an hour on an electric motor. However, these are small machines and, as it turns out, they cannot spend much time in the air.
Therefore, another way to reduce carbon emissions is the emergence of different e-fuels, which work basically like conventional kerosene and therefore do not require any modification of the machinery. The only difference is in production: synthetic kerosene is expected to eventually remove as much CO2 from the atmosphere as it burns, so the final bill will be break-even in this respect.
The plant in Werlte produces crude oil from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which can then be refined into kerosene, but only part of the CO2 is extracted from the atmosphere, the rest is obtained from a nearby biogas plant. The aim, however, is to get all the CO2 needed from the atmosphere. At present, the capacity is not very muscular: only 336 gallons are produced per day – for comparison, in 2019 (before the epidemic) commercial aviation burned 95 billion gallons of kerosene. But the point, according to the non-profit Atmosfair, is to prove the feasibility of the technology, and over time prices will converge with conventional kerosene for two main reasons: firstly, carbon taxes will be added to kerosene, and secondly, cheaper solar power could reduce the cost of production.
The aviation industry is also trying to get rid of its huge carbon footprint: for example, Boob Supersonic airline plans to run its fleet on 100 per cent alternative fuel, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced this week that it aims to achieve zero emissions by 2050.
Source: ABC News
Recent article
Air taxi News & Articles
Autonomous Air Traffic Control Systems
Drones News & Articles
The Promise of Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) Systems Powered Drones
Drones News & Articles
Swarm Technology for Drones
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The Global Race for Air Mobility Supremacy: Who Are the Leading Players and Innovators ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Environmental Impact of Electric Aviation: Beyond Zero Emissions
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
What Role Will Public Perception and Community Engagement Play in the Adoption of Urban Air Mobility ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Stratolaunch’s hypersonic vehicle launched for the first time
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
How are emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT being leveraged to enhance the safety, efficiency, and user experience of urban air mobility services ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Centuries-old technology could revolutionise aviation
Air taxi News & Articles
Economic Viability: Are Flying Cars and eVTOLs Economically Viable for Mass Adoption ?
Electric airplane News & Articles
The Environmental Impact of Electric Planes: Are They Truly the Greener Alternative ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How Airbus’ CityAirbus NextGen Aims to Revolutionize Urban Mobility ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
Alef’s flying car preparing for take-off
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Beyond the Prototype: The Economic Viability of Electric Aircraft
News & Articles Points of interest
Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology
News & Articles Points of interest
The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised
Drones News & Articles
Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone
Flying Cars News & Articles
Alef Aeronautics’ Model A could be in production in 2025
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
CycloTech Raises 20 Million Euros for Revolutionary Aviation Propulsion System
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Switchblade Flying Car: A Milestone in Personal Air Travel Featured in Pioneering Publication
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
What are/will be the impacts of Evtol and flying cars on infrastructure ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Unveiling the Energy Dynamics of eVTOLs
Flying Cars News & Articles
Evolving Skies: The Surge in eVTOL and Flying Car Production
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
What are the requirements for building a vertiport ?
Drones News & Articles
The role and future of military drones in wars
Flying Cars News & Articles
What are the safety concerns about flying cars and Evtol ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
What percentage of people may use flying cars and Evtols in the future ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
How Will Flying Car Technology Evolve in the Next Decade ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion
Drones News & Articles
A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport
Air taxi News & Articles
The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Evtols and the current state of self-direction
Air taxi News & Articles
Autonomous air mobility with EHang
Flying Cars News & Articles
New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era
Air taxi News & Articles
The Future of Air Traffic Management in Urban Air Mobility
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
FAA’s Path to eVTOL Certification
Drones News & Articles
WaveAerospace’s hybrid-electric Huntress turbojet unveiled
More articles you may be interested in...
News & Articles Points of interest
Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology
News & Articles Points of interest
The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised
Drones News & Articles
Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs
The integration of satellite communication technology into the operation and navigation of eVTOLs (Electric Vertical.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion
Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles represent a cutting-edge frontier in the quest for.......... READ MORE
Drones News & Articles
A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport
In an age where innovation intersects with tradition, drone light shows have emerged as the.......... READ MORE
Air taxi News & Articles
The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed
In a groundbreaking move that heralds a new era in urban transportation, China's Ehang has.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility
The emergence of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and flying cars represents a.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Evtols and the current state of self-direction
The current state of self-direction, or autonomous navigation, in eVTOLs is a fascinating convergence of.......... READ MORE
Air taxi News & Articles
Autonomous air mobility with EHang
In an era marked by rapid technological advances, the concept of urban mobility is undergoing.......... READ MORE
Flying Cars News & Articles
New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era
As the eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) and flying car industry edges closer from.......... READ MORE