The statement makes you sit up and take notice. Airbus boss Guillaume Faury said a few days ago that he is becoming increasingly confident that a hydrogen-powered airliner will be feasible by 2035. Many will shake their heads. Highly reactive hydrogen in an airplane? That sounds more like a utopia than a vision.
It is now the job of a business leader to push things that are irritating at first sight. A certain amount of euphoria should also be part of a manager’s toolbox. Otherwise there would be no development, and certainly not what is called disruption in modern German.
But that is exactly what aviation urgently needs. Depending on the study, it is responsible for 2.5 to three percent of CO2 emissions worldwide. If other emissions such as nitrogen oxide or water vapor are added, the result is a share of up to five percent. There is no quick solution to drive the value down to zero. It is therefore right that Airbus is pursuing the subject of hydrogen.
But there are only 14 years left until 2035. That is not much in aviation. It took eleven years to develop the superjumbo A380 before it went into service. Developing a completely new aircraft technology in almost the same time – that is an illusion.
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Hydrogen is highly reactive. That makes it challenging to work on the ground. The hurdles are significantly higher in an airplane that cannot pull over to the right.
That starts with the transport. If hydrogen is to be taken along in liquid form, the tanks must be cooled to minus 253 degrees Celsius. Extreme pressure is necessary in gaseous form. Both methods are technically demanding. Pressure-tight tanks often have a spherical shape, which does not really fit the streamlined body of an aircraft. Cooling the tanks sufficiently is also difficult.
The power-to-weight ratio is not yet enough
In addition, the previously known fuel cells with their power-to-weight ratio are not sufficient to power a commercial aircraft. Significant efficiency gains are still needed here.
Above all, hydrogen must be available in sufficient quantities. According to calculations by experts, ten million tonnes a year would be required by 2040 to fully supply air traffic on regional, short and medium-haul routes with the new fuel. A worldwide supply network would have to be built, and the ground processes at the airports would have to be rebuilt.
Aviation is also not the only industry that is looking at hydrogen. It should also save industry in the climate-neutral transformation. Everyone only wants green, i.e. sustainably produced, hydrogen. With all the euphoria – how can this need be met in two or three decades? However, airlines will only buy hydrogen aircraft if they trust that they can refuel them.
So hurdle after hurdle. Nevertheless, the following applies: Hydrogen has the potential to make aviation climate-neutral. That shouldn’t go unused. Here are a few facts as well:
When used in conjunction with a fuel cell, neither carbon dioxide, soot nor nitrogen oxide are produced. Because the fuel cell does not burn anything, it uses a catalytic reaction. Only water is emitted. Since this is also not without consequences for the climate, a solution must and can be found here. In addition, the efficiency is quite high at around 50 percent.
Aviation has few opportunities to become climate neutral
That is why it is not only those responsible for Airbus who firmly believe in this technology. The US company ZeroAvia plans to test a Dornier 228, a 19-seater, with such a drive in the air. The company has already successfully taken off a converted six-seat Piper several times, even if the aircraft crash-landed a few weeks ago.
So does research on hydrogen for aviation make sense or not? Ultimately, that is a question of the alternatives. For the time being, battery-powered electric drives will only be available for small aircraft, not for commercial aircraft with 100 or more seats. Synthetic fuel, technically the fastest way to achieve climate neutrality, faces problems similar to those of hydrogen in production: the capacity has to be built up over a number of years. It remains to be seen whether this will eventually be enough for all aircraft.
In contrast to the automotive industry, for example, aviation has no other chance than to pursue the subject of hydrogen alongside other approaches. To waste this would be grossly negligent.
More: Risky bet on hydrogen – how Airbus wants to make its aircraft climate-friendly