Hydrogen factories
Studying the production of e-kerosine in Europe. Europe’s manufacturers of sustainable fuels could produce 1.83 million t of e-kerosine by the year 2030. Lawmakers haven’t yet provided the concomitant incentives, however, as Transport & Environment has established.
E-kerosine, made by combining ‘green’ electricity, that is to say additional renewable power, with hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), has the potential to substantially reduce aviation’s emissions that damage the environment.
Now Transport & Environment (T & E), a European think tank for transport policy and the protection of the environment, has made projections on the basis of its analysis of the planned production capacities of 18 European e-kerosine manufacturers, including twelve from Germany. T & E has concluded that more than 0.16 million t of e-kerosine should be available for airlines by 2025, with 54% produced in Germany. Production can thus grow more than ninefold by 2030.
This would bring total e-kerosine availability in Europe to more than 1.8 million t. This figure corresponds to 3.65% of demand in Europe and would save up to 5 million t of CO2 – or the amount of hydrocarbons that are emitted by 30,000 trans-Atlantic flights.
“Green e-kerosine has to become first choice both for airlines as well as for political decision-makers,” according to Silke Bölts, the consultant for aviation policy in the German office of T & E. But T & E’s new study shows that political decision-makers don’t offer enough incentives to further promote the production of green aviation fuel.
A whole series of EU member states is struggling to adhere to the climate goals set a year ago by the EU Commission’s ‘ReFuel EU Aviation’ initiative. Some of them are even trying to water down the regulations concerning the addition of e-kerosine. Many a traditional airline has “crept under the wings of lobbyists such as Iata” and advocated watering down the EU’s suggestions.
T & E has taken a clear position advocating the choice of sustainable fuels. “Instead of improving the room for manoeuvre for organic fuels from non-sustainable raw materials the EU has to create viable solutions for e-kerosine,” as Matteo Mirolo, Bölts’ colleague in T & E’s Brussels office, said.