The aviation industry has been trying to find ways to change aircraft fuels from kerosene to hydrogen. This is to revolutionise air travel and reduce carbon emissions because hydrogen is believed to be the future of mobility in supporting a greener environment. However, after much introspection, the aircraft industry is reevaluating its expectations and trying to see if it is feasible.
Hydrogen-powered aircraft: Aspiring visions collide with shocking facts
Airbus, a European aircraft innovation company, set a goal to introduce hydrogen-powered engines and to start operating by 2035. The move was hailed as the path to air sustainability and could change everything we know about aerospace and, of course, reduce carbon footprint. However, the company recently announced that this ambitious project might not proceed as it will not meet their expectations.
These problems are associated with a lack of proper technological tools to pursue the project and infrastructural issues too. Developing a global hydrogen aircraft project has been proven to be more expensive and slower than anticipated, causing more expenses due to these delays. According to the Financial Times, Airbus has therefore cut its funding for the hydrogen endeavour by 25% and discontinued fuel cell test activities on modified A380 aircraft.
Obstacles that hydrogen-powered aircraft are facing
It is an obvious fact that hydrogen aircraft will make the world greener, but moving away from the commonly used fossil fuels might be a challenge. This is not about the industry being used to fossil fuels, but more about realism and practicality. Hydrogen is good, but even for cars on the road, there has not been a concrete solution that can give the aircraft industry motivation to switch to it.
Sourcing hydrogen will not be easy
One of the obstacles being faced by aerospace is that sourcing hydrogen will not be easy. One thing you should know is that although it is hailed as the future of clean transportation, hydrogen can be clean and dirty, depending on how it is produced. So, let us not get our hopes that high. There is what we call grey hydrogen and blue hydrogen.
Grey hydrogen emits a lot of CO2 and blue hydrogen captures the CO2 or natural gases, but storage is the problem. Green hydrogen, which is produced by splitting water with renewable energy, is the rarest and priciest. The most unfortunate thing, according to Val Miftakhov, CEO of ZeroAvia, a British-American hydrogen-electric powertrain developer, is that the hydrogen used today is not clean.
Aircraft range could be reduced by hydrogen
Although hydrogen is the lightest element, aircraft propelled by it rather than fossil fuels would weigh more because of its far lower energy density than kerosene. It must be stored in liquid form, which requires the installation of high-pressure tanks that maintain the extremely combustible material at temperatures at or below minus 253 Celsius. However, it may be burnt with oxygen to produce water, powering a jet. All of that increases weight, which reduces cargo, passenger, and range, according to Scientific American.
Other Routes to sustainability: The development of eco-friendly aviation fuels
The good thing is that despite the challenges that come with fighting for aircraft sustainability, reports from the Financial Times claim that as a quicker way to cut emissions, the aviation sector is focusing more and more on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs). With very minor adjustments to current aircraft, SAFs—which come from a variety of non-fossil sources—offer a workable way to reduce the carbon footprint of air travel.
Significant challenges have been faced in achieving the goal of hydrogen-powered aircraft revolutionising the skies by 2035, prompting a reassessment of the sector’s sustainability strategy. Although the industry is embracing alternatives like Sustainable Aviation Fuels and electric propulsion for short-haul flights, the fantasy of a hydrogen-based aviation future is still facing difficulties.