(Paris) The British airline easyJet will acquire CO credits from Airbus2which will be captured in the air and stored underground, in order to offset its emissions of this gas which contributes to global warming, the aeronautics giant announced on Monday.
The low-cost airline is committed like the rest of the global aviation sector, responsible for 2 to 3% of global CO emissions2to achieve zero net CO emissions2 by 2050.
To do this, it is counting on the modernization of its fleet with aircraft that consume and therefore emit less CO.2technological innovations and the gradual introduction of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) capable of reducing CO emissions by 80%2 compared to kerosene over their entire use cycle.
Although this technology is still under development, easyJet considers that CO capture2 will help offset “residual emissions during the transition period until 2050,” said easyJet sustainable development manager Jane Ashton during a conference call.
The technology, called direct capture before storage of carbon in the air (DACCS-Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage), aims to capture CO2 into the air using powerful fans, powered by carbon-free electricity, and storing it underground.
Airbus announced last year a partnership with the firm 1PointFive, which must commission a capture and storage site in the Permian Basin of Texas at a depth of nearly 2,000 meters at the end of 2024 – beginning of 2025.
The European aircraft manufacturer has committed to acquiring 400,000 tonnes of CO credits2, also called carbon credits, over four years. The contract with easyJet, the terms of which have not been specified, provides that the company will use part of these credits between 2026 and 2029.
In addition to easyJet, six other airline groups (Air Canada, Air France-KLM, IAG, Latam, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic) also signed a letter of intent to this effect with Airbus last year.
For Nicolas Chrétien, “Sustainability and Environment” manager at Airbus, CO credits2 have the advantage of making it possible to precisely quantify the quantity of CO2 eliminated, a credit corresponding to one ton.
And the CO2 stored can subsequently be used to manufacture synthetic fuels combining hydrogen and carbon dioxide.