Getting Technical: Flying in Green Skies

Aviation contributes to 2% of all CO2 emissions, which is something the industry wants to change. Jason Riggs, director of strategy at Technetics, spoke with Tyler Kern about some of the aviation industry’s plans to reach zero emissions by 2050 through sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), hydrogen, and pure battery-electric aircraft.

Hydrogen as a fuel source gets talked about a lot; however, until recently, it has been mostly all talk. “There are a couple of different ways you can use hydrogen to power an aircraft,” Riggs said. “One would be to burn hydrogen in the turbo engine. The second way would be to use hydrogen in a fuel cell. The fuel cell creates electricity, and the electricity then powers electric motors. And lastly, hydrogen can also be used to manufacture sustainable aviation fuels.” This all sounds great, but what’s the hang-up?

“The challenge is when you start adding in weight of the storage tanks, and all the weight required to hold that hydrogen, that energy density drops by roughly a third to two-thirds,” Riggs said. “It’s not a perfect solution even though hydrogen in and of itself has a higher energy density than some of these competing technologies.” The technology exists to make hydrogen-fueled aircrafts a reality, but its drawbacks prevent it from being a scalable solution at present. Overall, however, it’s one that holds promise for the future.

Getting to zero emissions is more than just the emissions coming out of the jet; the production of green fuels counts too, and the industry is looking at ways to balance out both ends. Producing hydrogen fuels today is more expensive than producing traditional kerosene jet fuels. Bringing costs down will be another factor in moving the industry forward in its path toward green, and government incentives could help move the needle. However, without such intervention, green-fuel initiatives may not stand a fighting chance.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Latest

legal counsel
The Importance of Legal Counsel to Major League Organizations
June 2, 2023

Live sporting events continue to be at the forefront of entertainment in America year after year. Between enthused fans, good food and drinks, and anticipation for record-breaking moments, the ambiance of a stadium on a game day is unmatched. However, behind the scenes of our beloved stadiums and sports traditions lies term sheets and contracts […]

Read More
Divergence Between Stocks and Bonds
The Divergence Between Stocks and Bonds & Emerging Market Trends
June 2, 2023

As the world of investing continues to evolve, it’s crucial for industry leaders to keep pace with the shifting landscape. One particular topic gaining traction is the divergence between stocks and bonds – an economic paradox affecting portfolios worldwide. Recent data shows that traditional investment strategies, like the 60-40 portfolio (60% in stocks and 40% […]

Read More
restaurant
The Main Course: The Power of Restaurant Narrative in Staffing
June 2, 2023

Not every restaurant makes an effort to fully integrate its customer into the experience of eating and enjoying their food. But for those looking for a unique dining experience, plenty of such establishments present unique restaurant narratives. What sort of restaurants emphasize storytelling in their dining, and how do they handle staffing? On this […]

Read More