Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has three different design sketches that are currently being developed to enable climate-neutral commercialized aircraft with hydrogen as the primary energy source, according to a press release.
Airbus intends to have a zero-emission aircraft on the market by 2035, and it is ”likely” that hydrogen is part of the future of aviation, the company writes.
”"I am convinced that hydrogen – both as a synthetic fuel and as a primary power source for aviation – has the best potential to reduce aviation's climate footprint," continues CEO Guillaume Faury.
The various design sketches show both conventional aircraft models similar to those that have been in the air since the infancy of passenger aviation, as well as planes of more modern design where the fuselage consists of a V-shaped wing.
”"We are in the midst of a historic moment for the entire commercial aviation sector and we plan to take a leading role in the transition towards green flying. It is our most important transition ever," says CEO Guillaume Faury in the press release.
Two of Airbus's largest owners, the governments of France and Germany, have launched support packages aimed at reshaping Europe's economy and energy system in a sustainable transition on the way out of the corona crisis. The support packages contain earmarked amounts to support hydrogen development. For France, this involves 2.4 billion euros in support for the hydrogen industry in the years 2021-2022.
French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari made no secret of the government's agenda in a television interview with LCI TV on Monday.
”Hydrogen is the best possible solution to the aviation shame trend,” he said.
When hydrogen is burned in a fuel cell, the only by-products are water and heat. The fuel's emission risk instead lies in the production of the hydrogen, which is produced through electrolysis.
The electrolysis must take place in an electrolyzer powered by green energy, i.e. energy derived from water, wind or solar power. Several Nordic companies have positioned themselves in the sector and Denmark has taken the lead with government investments in so-called hydrogen islands, where wind and solar power will enable the production of the fuel.
Source:news agency directly
