Flying 40,000 km around the world without a drop of fuel aboard a solar plane with the air of a giant albatross is the feat that pilot Bertrand Piccard achieved in 2016 aboard the famous Solar Impulse. The Swiss aeronaut, special advisor to the European Commission for clean economic recovery, is delighted that France has decided to devote 1.5 billion euros over three years to the design of a "carbon neutral aircraft in 2035" .
Is an airliner flying without fuel, realistic?
BERTRAND PICCARD. It is credible in the medium term. Even if we are not going to replace the planes flying with kerosene and which make transatlantic crossings right away, we can start by working on short-haul flights which are 500 km away. They could quickly become partly electric thanks to a fuel cell powered by hydrogen.
Kind of like hybrid cars that use both fuel and electricity?
We could imagine an airplane turbine that runs at its maximum efficiency constantly and would manufacture the electricity that powers the batteries. With Solar Impulse, we made our electricity using solar panels that capture energy from the sun, but our plane was 72 m in span and could only transport one person.
When will there be series models?
There are already two to four seat electric planes capable of flying two hours and recharging in 40 minutes. This prototype is flying and it should be certified by the authorities within one or two years. It could then make its appearance in flying clubs. And the Americans managed to fly a fully electric multi-seat plane a few days ago.
But can we imagine carbon neutral wide-body aircraft?
We can already implement techniques to consume as little fuel as possible. Air France has ordered new, much more economical Airbuses, but we can also favor more direct airways and land an aircraft in constant descent rather than compensate for it. This is what the space shuttle does when it hovers to descend to the ground and this saves a ton of kerosene on a jumbo jet. There is also new software that helps pilots reduce their consumption by 5% on a European flight. Finally, rather than turning the turbines once the aircraft is parked in the parking lot, they should be connected to the airport's electrical network and made sure that electric tractors take them to the runways just before takeoff.
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How do you respond to those who suggest drastically cutting our air travel?
Aviation should not be stigmatized, which accounts for 3% of CO2 emissions worldwide, which is as much as video streaming operations. And the textile industry alone is responsible for 7% of carbon emissions. I rather think that the principle of carbon compensation for thefts should be reviewed. Imagine that you charge 5 euros more on a Paris-Barcelona ticket and 200 euros on transatlantic flights to offset the carbon emissions emitted during your flight. This would feed a fund intended for planting trees, replacing coal-fired power plants with CO2-neutral installations. Now is a good time to do it since the price of oil has plummeted.
VIDEO. The State will inject 15 billion to save the French aeronautical industry