airplanes in the era of ecological fuels

It’s the big comeback of the Paris Air Show. The world of aeronautics finds itself after four years of absence due to a pandemic. As every year, it is a commercial issue with large aircraft orders in prospect. But this year manufacturers are also under pressure to work on a green aircraft, or a “carbon-free” aircraft. “The issue is crucial. According to the manufacturer Boeing, the number of planes will double within 20 years, which should aggravate global warming. But according to Emmanuel Macron, there is no question of limiting traffic. The Head of State defends a well-organized and non-punitive sobriety. On Friday, he presented funding for greener aircraft, in particular 300 million euros for engines that consume less kerosene and 200 million euros for the biofuel sector.“, explains the journalist Christelle Méral, from Le Bourget.

A technology that has a cost

Planes are responsible for 3% of CO2 emissions worldwide and face a lot of criticism. But can they turn green? In a Parisian laboratory, around twenty researchers are developing an unprecedented technology to produce the synthetic fuels of tomorrow. “We have developed a technology that allows us to take CO2 and convert it into a value-added product, such as chemicals, for example ethylene which can be transformed into jet fuel“, explains a researcher. A fuel considered sustainable, which nevertheless has a big flaw, it is very energy-intensive. Today, very few refineries produce biofuel.

Another challenge in trying to lower the carbon price of aviation is the need for state-of-the-art, lighter engines. They are able to run on much more sustainable fuel. Problem, it will then be necessary to renew the fleet of planes. Technological advances that cost between two and six times more than conventional kerosene for sustainable fuels. This will affect the price of tickets.