The Road to Aircraft Decarbonisation: From SAF´s to a ´Hydrogen Hub´

19/12/2024

As part of Iberia‘s commitment to sustainability and the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, we have taken another big step: the written will to create a hydrogen airport hub, which would be the first in our country. In other post we´ve talked at length about SAF´s (sustainable aircraft fuels); why then is hydrogen on the map as a means of powering commercial flight? Let’s shed a little more light on the roadmap to zero emissions.

SAF´s, the Current Phase of the Decarbonisation Process

Sustainable aircraft fuels – synthetic as well as from organic sources is very much the present of sustainable aviation. This is because in the first place there´s already an infrastructure for its production. Given the timeframes that are being handled, for example, in the European Union, for the implementation of SAF´s (those of IAG Group, of which Iberia is a part, are even more ambitious than those of the EU), all the sustainable fuel that´s produced is consumed: that is, there is a very high demand, since there is a broad interest in emitting fewer greenhouse gases.

It is also true that this production needs to grow exponentially. A year ago, the Spanish energy company Repsol opened an SAF refinery in Cartagena, Murcia with the capacity to supply 250,000 tonness of biofuel generated from lipid waste per year. It is believed that it will be able to cover all the demand for orders in Spain estimated for next year 2025 (two percent of the fuel).

Secondly, SAF does not require changes to current aircraft engines but can be used in aircraft that are currently in service. This is a huge advantage in terms of speed of implementation and also on the economic level. But it is also a plus for sustainability, since the very generation of new parts for an engine leaves its own carbon footprint.

Hydrogen and Its Dual Use

The current situation is therefore one of progressive use of SAF until reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The closest horizon, the year 2030, is projected to be 10 percent of the fuel used as SAF (compared to the five percent recommended by the European Union).

So how and when does hydrogen come into play in this roadmap towards zero emissions in aviation? Hydrogen is itself a fuel in the long term, but also in the short term, since it´s used to produce SAF. By 2050 the global aviation industry is expected to use between 15 and 20 percent of the projected global supply for that year. That is, part of the hydrogen will be used to produce SAF and another part for hydrogen-powered aircraft engines.

A Collaboration Agreement of 6 Large Companies, Including Iberia

If the present is SAF, the future includes hydrogen. It’s estimated that these new aircraft will enter service around 2035. The global projection is the use of around 100 million tonnes of hydrogen to generate SAF and around 20 for aircraft that run on hydrogen. This is the backdrop for the signing of  the collaboration agreement to study the creation of the first airport hydrogen hub in Spain.

In addition to Iberia, this major agreement includes our regional subsidiary Air Nostrum, Airbus, Spain’s national airports operator Aena, Exolum and Repsol: in this way the entire value chain is covered, from hydrogen production to ground operations with hydrogen, including two airlines, a manufacturer and the entire network of aerodromes in the country.

The Current Stage in the Development of a Hydrogen-powered Model

Airbus, the manufacturer that supplies Iberia with aircraft, is working on this alternative propulsion system within the ZEROe project, with plans to have the first operational model ready in 2035.

It has been known for decades that hydrogen is viable as a means of propulsion for aircraft. This moment is crucial to develop the infrastructure that will allow us to move from prototype to reality. But what is needed to successfully incorporate hydrogen as another viable alternative to decarbonise, alongside SAF, the aeronautical sector? An ecosystem of producers and distributors; or also, for example, a certification base, like the one SAF already has. And, in parallel, work on the development of sustainable aircraft models.

Airbus plans to begin ground and flight testing of the first fuel cell engine architecture soon (estimated starting next year). The A380 MSN1 will be powered by liquid hydrogen tanks – and also, of course, with the necessary modifications to make this a viable flight test aircraft.

So while SAF is being implemented as the present and future fuel for aviation, hydrogen is making its way as an alternative, but also a necessary ally, to this sustainable fuel. A future, without a doubt, promising for the safest and fastest means of transport.

 

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