Masdar sees 'compelling case' for conquering green air travel with hydrogen

Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar believes there is a "compelling business case" for using hydrogen to make air travel greener, a senior executive said on Monday. Mohammad Abdelqader El-Ramahi, Masdar's chief green hydrogen officer, said synthetic aviation fuels were a "low-hanging fruit" in the industry. Airlines are banking on sustainable fuels to "drop in" to existing jet engines and cut the bulk of CO2 emissions caused by flying. More radical remodelling of aircraft, involving electric batteries and alternative engines, is expected to take a smaller part of the slack. Using hydrogen is an alternative to the most common type of sustainable fuel made from cooking oils and plant waste, of which supplies are limited. This involves splitting hydrogen off from water (H2O), ideally using climate-friendly means such as wind or solar power, and combining it with CO2. European Union rules will require this variant, known as eSAF, to make up 1.2% of jet fuel by the early 2030s, eventually rising to 35% by 2050. "One could say the 1.2% is very low. It is not," El-Ramahi told a summit of green hydrogen investors in London. "If you look at the current evolution of the aviation sector and you look at this quantity, this quantity is ginormous." He said biofuels would "not be able to scratch the surface" of the volumes of cleaner fuel needed, especially when competing with land needed to grow food. Fines for failing to comply with EU rules also mean that an aviation company could end up paying double if it does not go down an eSAF route, he said. "We believe that sustainable aviation fuels or eSAF synthetic fuels are one of the low-hanging fruits," El-Ramahi said. "It's a very compelling business case."<br/>