The hydrogen craze has come to aviation.
Under the label of a non-polluting chemical element, abundant in the earth and capable of generating enough energy to move tens of tons through the sky for hours, Airbus has launched its zero emissions program, baptized as ZEROe.
An exclusive innovation plan, presented in September, with which he hopes to stop polluting by 2035. “Hydrogen is the cheapest and most beneficial in terms of reducing the climate impact of airplanes.
It requires new planes, that's true;
but hydrogen would completely eliminate the carbon footprint ”, Glenn Llewellyn, vice president of the project, explains in conversation with EL PAÍS.
So far the theory, because the pretense of wanting to fly by hydrogen implies a series of challenges that go beyond extracting all the potential to a sustainable and renewable energy.
This revolution doesn't just affect airplanes.
“We are talking about a massive transition in all sectors, not only in aeronautics.
That's what the Paris Agreement is about.
There is no excuse for anyone to move forward with decarbonisation, ”says Llewellyn.
In sectors such as automotive and space, they have advanced for decades in their knowledge and application.
Even electricity companies use hydrogen to supply their networks, including some gas turbines that use it to generate energy.
The technical starting point is not that complicated, but an airplane is more than just engines.
Efficiency has to reach every corner of the plane;
And with current innovation, this approach does not meet such expectations.
Airbus' vice president of zero emissions technology explains that the prototypes they work with require a longer fuselage at the rear to house two hydrogen tanks.
This is a particularly sensitive area because it is responsible for protecting aircraft from exploding when internal pressure increases during flight.
“We need this space if we want them to have autonomous hydrogen storage and to be safe.
In this case it would be because it is an element that is not affected by the pressurization of the cabin ”, he assures.
The distribution and internal piping also require certain changes.
Obviously, kerosene and hydrogen do not behave in the same way.
However, the modifications to the engines, at least as Llewellyn understands it, are less substantial.
Aesthetically, the exterior would maintain the same appearance.
The challenge is internal.
It comes from both combustion and injectors, essential elements for propelling airplanes.
“For them to perform perfectly, it will take a lot of work.
We are fortunate that we will take advantage of many systems already installed.
I do not want to say that it is not necessary to undertake important changes, but the most important is that of the propulsion ”, he says.
The infrastructure and logistics in transporting this energy cannot be overlooked.
If the sector intends to adopt it mainly, airports must have these capacities without skyrocketing costs.
And the road seems long.
Right now, the so-called green hydrogen, on which Airbus bases the project and which comes from other renewable energy sources, barely accounts for 0.1% of all global production.
However, according to the forecasts of the International Energy Agency, the European Union will achieve in 2030 that sustainable hydrogen has a capacity of up to 40 gigawatts.
[For reference, the Three Gorges Dam in China, the world's largest hydroelectric plant, has an installed electrical power capacity of 22.5 gigawatts].
The fight against the climate emergency helps to make hydrogen increasingly relevant in innovation policies.
But not all technology can fall on your shoulders.
The head of Airbus suggests that this is a game with three different players: companies, suppliers and regulators.
Without a determined commitment by all these parties, it will be difficult for hydrogen to meet the expectations raised.
“The message has to get through that renewable energy is the future, that we have to scale it to meet the rest of the energy demands.
We need an ecosystem where ecological or zero-emission investment is stable and profitable in the long term ”.
Coexistence with biofuels
The new course for commercial aviation does not mean leaving behind other sustainable trends, such as biofuels.
Llewellyn is in the process of incorporating them into more and more aircraft.
In their own words, they contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions - 3% of the global climate emergency comes from gases generated during flights - and any Airbus can store up to 50%.
Less well known are the so-called synthetic fuels,
a priori
an intermediate sustainable option between hydrogen and biofuel and whose scope for innovation and development is very wide.
They scale better than any of the ecological possibilities available and require fewer resources to manufacture than biofuels, significantly reducing environmental impact.
One of its ingredients is hydrogen, which makes them an interesting solution in order to know its full potential.
When combined with other renewable sources and with the carbon dioxide that it collects and extracts in flight thanks to a technology, it provides the necessary energy to the engines.
The transportation industry looks hydrogen in the face.
Aviation has been one of the last to join, especially if we compare it with the rail sector and that of transport trucks, which have been trying for years to change from diesel to cleaner energy.
Airbus' plans seem ambitious, not even the pandemic has reduced the planned budget, although it remains to be seen whether hydrogen will be able to reverse the environmental damage caused over so many decades.
“It is a critical issue for society, which cannot be hidden.
We have to assume it and stop it.
That is why we need help, as an ecosystem that evolves in this idea, partners that work with us… We all have to be allied with the same objective of not emitting ”, concludes Llewellyn.
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