“Progressing the development and commercial deployment of SAF is crucial to decarbonising the aviation industry and this partnership with LanzaJet shows the progress British Airways is making as we continue on our journey to net zero,” commented British Airways CEO Sean Doyle.

LanzaJet was formed in June last year with investment from LanzaTech, Canadian integrated energy company Suncor Energy and Japanese global trading and investment company Mitsui & Co. All Nippon Airways (ANA) is also supporting the venture through an offtake agreement and has already used a portion of fuel produced at Freedom Pines’ initial demonstration facility on a transpacific delivery flight of a new Boeing aircraft from Everett to Tokyo in 2019. Fuel from the 4,000-gallon batch was also used on a commercial passenger flight operated by Virgin Atlantic from Orlando to London Gatwick in 2018.

Details of BA’s investment have not been released although Suncor and Mitsui have invested $15 million and $10 million respectively to establish LanzaJet, with a further $14 million grant from the US Department of Energy. The funding is being used to build the Freedom Pines integrated biorefinery that will produce 10 million gallons per year of SAF and renewable diesel from sustainable ethanol sources. In addition to its equity investment, Suncor has contracted to take a significant portion of the SAF and renewable diesel for its customers. Once technical and economic targets have been met, further investment and a capital call are planned, says LanzaJet.

With the addition of British Airways, the company now plans to develop a further four larger scale plants producing SAF and renewable diesel to operate from 2025, possibly some or all being built in the UK subject to “improved” government policy support for waste-based SAF, it says. The early-stage work for a potential commercial facility in the UK for BA will be conducted in parallel to the construction of the Georgia plant to shorten development timescales, said a spokesperson for LanzaTech.

“Following the successful start-up of the Georgia plant, we hope to then deploy the technology and SAF production capacity in the UK,” said Doyle. “The UK has the experience and resources needed to become a global leader in the deployment of such SAF production facilities.”

British Airways and LanzaTech are also members of the Jet Zero Council, a government/industry partnership to drive the net-zero ambitions of the UK government and aviation sector, which has a focus on SAF. “We need government support to drive decarbonisation and accelerate the realisation of this vision,” added Doyle.

BA has recently teamed up with Zeroavia in a hydrogen-powered aircraft project and parent company IAG plans to invest $400 million in SAF over the next 20 years.

LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis said: “British Airways has long been a champion of waste to fuel pathways, especially with the UK government. With the right support for waste-based fuels, the UK would be an ideal location for commercial-scale LanzaJet plants.”

The LanzaTech partnership with Virgin Atlantic goes back nearly a decade. “We continue to work with Virgin Atlantic and the LanzaJet investment from BA does not affect this,” said the LanzaTech spokesperson. “We are looking forward to our continued partnership with Virgin in developing the scale-up of ATJ in the UK.”

The Freedom Pines plant will convert any source of sustainable ethanol – which can be made, for example, from non-edible agricultural residues such as wheat straw, municipal solid waste and also LanzaTech’s own developed technology that recycles waste industrial gases – into renewable jet fuel and diesel through a process patented by LanzaTech. The company claims its jet fuel delivers a reduction of more than 70% in GHG emissions compared to conventional fossil jet fuel. LanzaJet has exclusive rights to the ethanol-to-fuel process and permission to commercialise the technology, said Samartzis, who joined the company last year, having previously served at IATA, Airlines for America and United Airlines.

The new pre-commercial plant will be adjacent to the old demonstration cellulosic ethanol production facility in Soperton, 250 kms south-east of Atlanta, that LanzaTech acquired in 2012 following the collapse of Range Fuels.

“We’ve made very good progress on the engineering and fabrication front and we’re taking a very innovative approach to applying the technology, so enabling us to accelerate the pace,” reported Samartzis on the ambitious plan to start producing fuels as early as late next year.

Photo: British Airways

As a contracting state of ICAO, the DfT says the UK is obliged to adopt into domestic law the relevant Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) relating to ICAO’s CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme for international aviation. The consultation considers CORSIA implementation in terms of MRV and offsetting by operators of their CO2 emissions. A second consultation is planned for this summer on detailed proposals for implementing CORSIA offsetting in the UK.

According to the DfT, implementing CORSIA alongside the UK ETS is being guided by two principles: upholding the UK’s international obligations by implementing CORSIA “as closely as possible” to the globally-agreed SARPs and upholding the UK’s domestic climate obligations to ensure carbon pricing is at least as ambitious as the EU ETS. It says it has taken into account that options could lead to operators having to both cancel CORSIA emissions units and surrender UK ETS allowances for the same tonne of CO2 emitted and the potential for competitive distortions between operators and an increased administrative burden. While accepting aviation has significant climate impacts in addition to CO2, the government says these are not yet well enough understood to form policy with any certainty. Operators are therefore not required to monitor, report or address these non-CO2 effects but the DfT says it is possible that either or both schemes may seek to incorporate these effects in the future.

CORSIA is expected to be implemented in the UK through two statutory instruments (SI) under an Air Navigation Order. The first SI, covering CORSIA MRV, is expected to be in force by spring 2021 and the second, covering CORSIA offsetting, is aimed to come into force by the first UK ETS surrender deadline in April 2022. A further instrument called the UK ETS Order, which includes provisions relating to the aviation free allocation, has already come into force but will be amended in future to reflect the chosen policy option for interaction between CORSIA and the UK ETS.

The first SI covers:

• The attribution of aeroplane operators to a state, the role of the state in implementing CORSIA and details the MRV processes and requirements;
• The MRV of CO2 emissions produced using CORSIA eligible fuels; and
• The enforcement action if operators do not comply with their obligations under the scheme.

The government intends that operators attributed to the UK for CORSIA will be regulated by the same four regulators (for England and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) as under the UK ETS – for example the Environment Agency (EA) in respect of England. Operators who are attributed to the UK for CORSIA but are not participants in the UK ETS are proposed to be regulated by the EA. A single UK CORSIA focal point will report to ICAO on behalf of all the UK regulators, with the DfT remaining the responsible authority in the UK for CORSIA, in consultation with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the devolved administrations.

Civil penalties for non-compliance can be issued by the regulator through an enforcement notice when it believes an aspect of CORSIA implementation has been or is likely to be implemented incorrectly, and will mirror those applying to the UK ETS. Failure by an operator to apply for or make a revised application for an emissions monitoring plan, or failure to monitor or report emissions carry a penalty of £20,000 ($27,000) plus a daily rate of £500 up to a maximum of £45,000. The penalties rise to £50,000 for more serious infringements.

CORSIA-UK ETS interaction

The consultation then considers the policy options for interaction between CORSIA and the UK ETS. In its introduction, the DfT says the UK is committed to fully participating in CORSIA from the start of the scheme in 2021 but at the same time recognises further action is required to ensure international aviation contributes to the global temperature goals of the Paris Agreement.

“The UK is therefore negotiating in ICAO for a long-term goal for international emissions that, like our national targets under the Climate Change Act, is consistent with the Paris Agreement,” it says. “The UK is also acutely aware of its responsibility as COP26 President to push for great ambition in tackling climate change across all sectors. The UK will use the platform of COP26 to push for progress in decarbonising all sectors including aviation. In addition, the UK government and the devolved administrations have higher climate change ambitions than those currently set by ICAO.”

Without policy action, the DfT says CO2 emissions above the CORSIA baseline from international flights departing from the UK to the European Economic Area (EEA) would incur obligations from both the UK ETS and CORSIA, leading to operators being charged twice for these emissions. It puts forward six options in the consultation for consideration. With the exception of one, they assume UK domestic flights will only be included in the UK ETS; international flights to or from the UK that are not covered by the UK ETS would only be included in CORSIA (where the other State is also a participant in the scheme); and flights from EEA States to the UK would be covered by the EU ETS.

Option 1: Simple hybrid scheme – An operator’s UK ETS obligations would be reduced by an amount equivalent to their CORSIA obligations on flights from the UK to the EEA. In effect, this would mean that the UK ETS would apply to emissions on these flights unless they are covered by CORSIA. The option does not allow an operator to directly use CORSIA emissions units against their UK ETS obligations. The option is broadly similar to the ETS-CORSIA ‘mix’ option in an inception impact assessment published by the European Commission. This is assessed by the DfT as the simplest method and means the UK is fully compliant with the CORSIA SARPs whilst ensuring operators face obligations either under CORSIA or the UK ETS on all emissions from UK to EEA flights. However, this option would see the demand for allowances reduced without an equivalent adjustment to the supply, which could contribute to a build-up of surplus UK ETS allowances, plus add a level of complexity for operators on UK to EEA flights.

Option 2: Supply-adjusted hybrid scheme – Based on option 1, operators would be entitled to claim a reduction in their UK ETS obligations equivalent to their CORSIA obligations on flights from the UK to EEA States. Additionally, to maintain the supply-demand balance – and therefore the UK ETS auction price – the UK ETS cap would also be adjusted to account for those emissions covered by CORSIA. For every tonne of CO2 that is removed from the UK ETS obligations of an operator due to CORSIA, a tonne of CO2 in UK ETS allowances would also be retired from the system. Allowances could be taken from the overall UK ETS cap or from allowances allocated to the aviation sector. This option would be more environmentally stringent than the simple hybrid as it would go further towards maintaining the integrity of the UK ETS cap and also help to maintain the supply/demand balance of the UK ETS. It would also be fully compliant with the SARPs. Despite being likely to be the most complicated to administer, it is the government’s initial preferred option.

Option 3:  Restricted hybrid scheme – Operators would be allowed to use CORSIA emissions units against their UK ETS obligations but only if those units meet additional criteria to minimise the risk of not representing additional verifiable emissions reductions or that they have been double-counted. This could be capped at a level equal to the CORSIA obligations on UK ETS international routes. Without this safeguard, this option could lead to cheaper CORSIA units being used in place of UK ETS allowances, leading to oversupply and a significantly reduced price, and would also mean the UK developing its own emissions unit criteria.

Option 4: UK ETS and CORSIA implemented independently – Operators with international flights in the UK ETS would be required to comply with both schemes for emissions above the CORSIA baseline and therefore have overlapping obligations on these flights. This would be the most environmentally ambitious option but would mean operators having to pay twice for the same tonne of CO2. The option would be less administratively complex than a hybrid scheme as the two schemes would run largely separately.

Option 5: Domestic offsetting scheme – CORSIA would still be applied to international flights but instead of operators being covered by the UK ETS, an offsetting scheme based on the design of CORSIA would be applied to the flights that would have been in the scope of the UK ETS. The scheme could use CORSIA MRV, thresholds, exemptions and compliance periods, as well use offset credits rather than allowances for all emissions. As a UK policy, the scheme could have a more stringent baseline than CORSIA for international flights, include UK domestic flights and apply its own emissions unit criteria for emissions not covered by CORSIA. Because this option would replace the UK ETS, it would require some time to deliver, says the DfT, but could be introduced by the start of the CORSIA first phase in 2024. The option would be fully compliant with the SARPs and as it uses offset credits rather than ETS allowances, it would provide the highest demand for domestic and potentially international emissions reduction programmes, which the DfT says would be consistent with the government’s carbon finance ambitions. Against the option, the price of offsets is likely to be below the price of allowances for some years and because all emissions obligations would be met through offsetting rather than allowances, there could be a significantly reduced incentive to reduce in-sector aviation emissions.

Option 6: UK ETS only – Only the UK ETS would apply on UK to EEA flights, whilst CORSIA would apply to all other international flights in the scope of the scheme. As UK to EEA flights would not be subject to CORSIA obligations, the UK would need to file a difference against the definition of international flights in the SARPs. The option would ensure the same level of ambition as now on UK to EEA flights, without charging for the same emissions. It is broadly similar to the ETS-CORSIA ‘clean-cut’ option in the Commission’s inception impact assessment.

Summary of options (source: DfT):

Following this consultation, a second consultation on a more detailed preferred CORSIA-UK ETS interaction policy will be published this summer.

Top photo: Heathrow Airport

A statement by Velocys indicated Velocys and British Airways will continue to work together to secure sources of finance for the plant and hinted new partners could join the venture as the project progresses. It said preparations were underway to apply for significant government funding for the project that the partners believe is well-placed to succeed.

Planning permission for the Altalto Immingham plant was issued by the local council last May and the project has received grants totalling near £1 million ($1.4m) under two stages of the government’s Future Fuels for Flight and Freight competition. Shell and British Airways each contributed £1 million towards the project in June. Depending on securing the remaining finance, construction of the £500 million ($680m) plant is due to begin in 2022 and start producing fuel in 2025. When fully operational, it will convert over 500,000 tonnes per year of municipal waste destined for landfill or incineration into 60 million litres of sustainable jet and road fuel, saving an estimated 80,000 tonnes of net CO2 per year.

“We are looking forward to moving Altalto Immingham to the next stage of development in 2021,” commented Velocys CEO Henrik Wareborn. “It is the most advanced commercial SAF project in the UK and is ready to take advantage of the strong push from both government and industry for the decarbonisation of aviation, especially using waste feedstocks.”

Shell, British Airways and Velocys are members of the Jet Zero Council, a UK government/industry initiative formed last year to help develop greener air travel towards a net-zero target by 2050. The Altalto project has been backed by government ministers.

“Sustainable aviation fuel is vital to the decarbonisation of aviation and to helping us achieve our net zero target. The formation of the Council and the recent launch of its Sustainable Aviation Fuels Delivery Group are testament to the importance the government attaches to SAF,” said Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways.

Shell is one of the biggest suppliers of jet fuel to the UK aviation market. Wishing Altalto “every success in the future”, Matthew Tipper, Shell VP New Fuels, said: “On this occasion, we have decided to focus our resources on other lower-carbon fuels opportunities which leverage our own technology. We will continue to work with the aviation industry and the UK government and, as part of the Jet Zero Council, to help decarbonise UK aviation.”

Shell Aviation recently sourced SAF via World Energy and SkyNRG for Rolls-Royce’s ALECSys programme that is ground testing the use of 100% SAF in engines at its Derby, UK, facility.

Further afield, last month Shell Aviation agreed to supply SAF to DHL Express at Amsterdam Schiphol, the first customer to be supplied under an agreement reached with Neste in September. The volume of fuel being supplied represents a full year of DHL Express’s requirements from the airport. In October, Shell entered into an agreement with Red Rock Biofuels to purchase SAF and cellulosic renewable diesel fuel from Red Rock’s new biorefinery in Lakeview, Oregon.

Shell Aviation is also supporting the development of another planned European commercial-scale SAF production plant, SkyNRG’s DSL-01 project in the Netherlands. Unlike the intention with Altalto, Shell is not investing directly in the project and instead is providing technical and commercial advice along with an option to purchase SAF when production starts.

Photo: Shell Aviation

ZeroAvia’s September flight of a six-seat Piper Malibu M350 utilised a smaller version of the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain it developed for the first HyFlyer project, which was also supported with a grant from the government-industry ATI programme. HyFlyer II is aimed at bringing to market the first hydrogen-electric powertrain suitable for commercial aircraft by 2023. Typically, up to 19-seat aircraft, such as the Cessna 208 Caravan and the Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter, are used in regional aviation and cargo transport worldwide. ZeroAvia says it 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain is platform-agnostic and will have lower operating costs and less air pollution than its jet-fuelled competition.

It is planning to perform initial test flights in 2021 and culminate in a 350-mile demonstration flight. By 2027, it expects to have powerplants in service capable of powering commercial flights of over 500 miles in aircraft with up to 100 seats and by 2030 more than 1,000 miles in aircraft with over 100 seats.

For the HyFlyer II project, ZeroAvia is working again with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) to deliver the green hydrogen fuelling systems required to power the aircraft for flight tests, including through mobile fuelling platforms suited to airport environments. For the first time, it is partnering with Aeristech to utilise the company’s advanced air compressor system as part of the 19-seat powertrain.

The $21.4 million Series A funding was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and the Ecosystem Integrity Fund, with follow-on investors Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Horizons Ventures, Shell Ventures and Summa Equity. Total funding since inception stands at $49.7 million.

“We see tremendous potential for hydrogen to decarbonise transportation, a core focus of our investment strategy,” said Devin Whatley, Managing Partner at the Ecosystem Integrity Fund. “With aviation being such a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and also one of the trickiest areas to decarbonise, we believe ZeroAvia offers the only near-term solution to sustainable aviation and has already made significant progress toward achieving this goal.” 

Added Kara Hurst, Amazon’s VP Worldwide Sustainability: “Amazon created The Climate Pledge Fund to support the development of technologies and services that will enable Amazon and other companies to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement ten years early – achieving net zero carbon by 2040. ZeroAvia’s zero-emission aviation powertrain has real potential to help decarbonise the aviation sector, and we hope this investment will further accelerate the pace of innovation to enable zero-emission air transport at scale.”

The £12.3 million grant, which is being matched by funding from the project’s partners, is being made through the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Innovate UK and ATI.

“Next year, as the UK assumes the Chair of the G7 nations and hosts COP26, we have an exciting opportunity to lead through example on climate change as we power towards net zero with our new ambitious plan to put the UK at the forefront of the green industrial revolution and a green jobs boom,” said Energy Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng.

“ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer II project will bring yet another first for zero-emission flight to British skies, boosting our work through the Jet Zero Council, as well as positioning the country as a leader in green aviation technology and ensuring the UK builds back greener after the pandemic.”

Launched in June, the Jet Zero Council is an initiative between industry and government to focus on delivering net zero emissions commercial flight, whose members include ZeroAvia and British Airways.

IAG’s Hangar 51 accelerator programme works with start-ups and scale-ups from around the world to provide an opportunity to develop and test their products on “real world business challenges,” explains British Airways. On completion of the project, the airline says research and learnings from the process will be shared and the ZeroAvia and Hangar 51 teams will consider how the partnership will progress longer term.

“We are very excited to partner with ZeroAvia and get a glimpse of a zero-emissions future using hydrogen-powered aircraft,” said Louise Evans, British Airways’ Director of External Communications & Sustainability. “During the partnership, as well as assessing the environmental advantages of the technology, we will also be exploring the operational, commercial and customer experience improvements that can be achieved.”

Responded Sergey Kiselev, Head of Europe for ZeroAvia: “Our mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to truly zero emissions flight and we believe hydrogen is the best way to quickly and practically achieve this. Earlier this year, we proved that passengers will soon be able to board an emissions-free, hydrogen-powered aircraft for commercial services. In the years to come, we will scale that technology up to power larger aircraft over longer distances.

“We have found that in addition to improving the sustainability of flight, which is vital, hydrogen-electric technology has the potential to lower operating costs and improve the in-flight passenger experience. We are delighted to be working with British Airways, one of the world’s iconic airlines, and the Hangar 51 programme to explore how hydrogen-electric aircraft can power the fleet of the future. That promising future is closer than ever.”

British Airways CEO Sean Doyle said the airline was committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. “In the short term this means improving our operational efficiency and introducing carbon offset and removal projects, while in the medium to longer term we’re investing in the development of sustainable aviation fuel and looking at how we can help accelerate the growth of new technologies, such as zero emissions hydrogen-powered aircraft.”

Four years earlier than planned, BA has now retired the last of its Boeing 747 fleet, to be replaced by more fuel-efficient Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s. It is expecting sustainable aviation fuel supplies from the planned Velocys Altalto waste-to-jet fuel plant, in which it is co-partner with Shell, located in north-east England to start arriving in 2025. Slated to produce around 20 million gallons a year, the airline estimates this would be enough to power more than 1,000 flights from London to New York each year in an A350.

In 2019, parent company IAG became the first airline group worldwide to commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (see article).

IAG CEO Luis Gallego told the Climate Ambition Summit 2020, convened on December 12 by the United Nations, the UK and France ahead of next year’s COP26: “Despite the current crisis, we believe it is absolutely critical that our industry plays its full part in addressing climate change. Our actions show how seriously we are taking the commitment. We will not back down from our ambition and efforts to reduce aviation carbon emissions.”

The policies for aviation are set out in the Committee’s advice to government on the nation’s Sixth Carbon Budget – the legal limit for UK net GHG emissions over the 2033-37 period. This will necessitate a requirement for an overall 78% reduction in UK emissions by 2035 relative to 1990, equivalent to a 63% reduction from 2019, which it says would place the UK on a path to net zero by 2050 at the latest.

On aviation, the Committee’s report acknowledges the UK industry’s commitment through its Sustainable Aviation coalition to the net-zero goal for 2050 although this is not yet a policy goal for the government, which is due to consult in 2021 on its intended Aviation Decarbonisation Strategy.

“Higher-level strategic gaps include the lack of formal inclusion of international emissions in UK carbon budgets and the net zero target, and the need for a sector emissions trajectory to inform demand management and airport capacity policies,” points out the Committee. “Further research is also needed on non-CO2 effects and potential mitigation options.”

UK government policy has been not to include emissions from international flights in the carbon budgets pending developments with UN negotiations on ICAO’s CORSIA scheme but the Committee is strongly recommending a change. The Chairman of the CCC, Lord Deben, told journalists ahead of the publication of the report that the UN structure demanded international emissions from aviation and shipping be excluded from Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.

“What the Committee is saying very clearly is that the UK government must take up the cudgels in order to include the emissions from these two sectors. If you don’t include them, then you are falsifying the fact when it comes to net zero, so we need to make that change,” he said. “We’ve really got to get aviation and shipping into the system, and pretty quickly.”

Existing UK aviation policy has been focused on establishing the Jet Zero Council with an ambition for zero-emissions commercial flight, match-funding for aircraft technology development and traded certificate price support for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). Investments have also been made in a grant-funding competition for SAF production and the FlyZero aircraft technology initiative. There are also plans for a SAF clearing house to enable the UK to certify new fuels and a consultation on a SAF blending mandate for a potential start in 2025.

However, the RTFO inclusion is unlikely to drive significant development of renewable jet fuels and there is a lack of larger-scale deployment support and policy framework for these fuels, says the Committee. It advises the government to set out a policy package for supporting the near-term deployment of SAF facilities in the UK that may involve capital or loan guarantee support, and to transition to a more bespoke policy than the RTFO. A SAF blending mandate could ultimately provide more certainty to SAF plant investors than the RTFO, it believes. SAF facilities should have to install carbon capture and storage (CCS) or be built CCS-ready in order to maximise GHG savings, it adds, and SAF must meet strict sustainability standards.

The report says carbon pricing will be required to incentivise the transition to net zero although there are issues around equitable distribution of costs. Aviation fuel faces no taxes and international flights beyond EU borders are outside the scope of the EU ETS, so do not face a carbon price, it points out. The Committee noted that the recent citizens’ UK Climate Assembly favoured a frequent flyer levy to address fairness concerns.

The Committee proposes that in the long term, an economy-wide emissions trading scheme with a cap set to zero emissions would be a plausible way of balancing emissions and pricing carbon for sectors like aviation, so providing financial support for GHG emissions removals from, for example, woodland or peatland restoration, or engineered removals such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).

Given expected developments in efficiency and SAF deployment, the Committee advises the government to implement a demand management policy to constrain UK aviation growth to 25% by 2050 from 2018 levels for the sector to contribute to the UK net zero goal. If efficiency and SAF develop quicker, it may be possible for demand growth to rise above 25%, provided that additional non-CO2 effects are acceptable or can be mitigated, it says.

“The government should assess its airport capacity strategy in the context of net zero and any lasting impacts on demand from Covid-19. Investments will need to be demonstrated to make economic sense in a net zero world and the transition towards it,” says the report.

“Unless faster than expected progress is made on aircraft technology and SAF deployment, such that the sector is outperforming its trajectory to net zero, current planned additional airport capacity would require capacity restrictions placed on other airports. Going forwards, there should be no net expansion of UK airport capacity unless the sector is assessed as being on track to sufficiently outperform a net emissions trajectory that is compatible with achieving net zero alongside the rest of the economy, and is able to accommodate the additional demand and still stay on track.”

Baroness Brown, Deputy Chair of the Committee, told journalists: “There is a limit on the aviation emissions we can afford so if it is crucial for our economy to have, say, more capacity in the airport system in London then that would mean reducing capacity elsewhere – it’s about no net increase in the capacity. We do assume there can be some growth in aviation and we’ve looked very carefully at the conclusions of the Climate Assembly and the assumptions we have made are closely aligned with it on issues like aviation.

“The aviation industry is hugely important to this country and we consider there will be some very important advances in technology and synthetic fuels, and we are keen that the government supports their development. As you go forward in time, the benefits from improving aircraft efficiency will also start to outweigh the costs of reducing aviation emissions. It’s not a gloomy story about aviation – there are opportunities but not for rampant growth in terms of flying, and certainly not in the short term until we have the solutions in place.”

On aviation’s non-CO2 effects, the report recommends work should be supported to reduce the scientific uncertainties and fund research into mitigation options. As a minimum goal, there should be no additional non-CO2 warming from aviation after 2050 and possibly earlier with a policy intervention.

“Alongside efforts at ICAO, the Aviation Decarbonisation Strategy and the package of domestic policies, plus parallel progress on a mechanism for deploying GHG removals in the UK, should put UK aviation emissions on track to contribute fully to meeting the Sixth Carbon Budget and the net zero target,” concludes the report.

Responding, Sustainable Aviation’s Programme Director, Andy Jefferson, commented: “We were the first national aviation group in the world to pledge to achieve net zero by 2050 in February of this year, and our members are fully committed to decarbonising aviation in line with global targets. 

“We are currently assessing potential interim targets for 2030, and plan to announce this during 2021 once we have clarity on a range of dependent factors. This includes the trajectory of the post-pandemic recovery, the next phase of the EU Emissions Trading System and the global CORSIA scheme. 

“We have a clear Road-Map for how to achieve net zero in aviation through SAF, new cleaner aircraft and modernisation of airspace. The right action from government now on SAF in particular will have a marked effect on our ability to set and achieve ambitious interim targets for decarbonisation.”

Cait Hewitt, Deputy Director of UK environmental group the Aviation Environment Federation, said: “The CCC’s advice is clear: the government needs to call time on airport expansion. Zero-carbon aviation is currently an aspiration, not a reality, and while it’s right to pursue new technologies for cutting emissions, we can’t rely on these coming through fast enough to decarbonise the sector without also reducing aviation demand.

“Our analysis shows that current and planned UK airport expansions could increase aviation CO2 emissions by nearly 9 Mt a year in 2050 compared to a situation with no expansion.

“The aviation sector has taken a huge hit from the Covid pandemic but jobs per passenger had already been falling for many years. The government now needs to sharpen its focus on how to build the zero-carbon industries – and jobs – of the future.”

Photo: Heathrow Airport

As well as a decline in backing for airport expansion, the NATS’ Aviation Index 2020 survey revealed a significant increase in the proportion who disagreed with the statement ‘I don’t think people should be discouraged from flying if they want to, even if this might have a negative impact on the environment’, rising to 32% from 22% in 2019.

The survey shows that although three in five say they have personally acted to reduce the environmental impact of the flights that have taken, such as finding alternative arrangements for domestic travel, people are far more likely to say they will do more in future than to have actually done something already to reduce their impact. When choosing which airline and airport, price is still the number one factor, particularly with younger travellers, but has become slightly less important over time.

A large majority (78%) believe the environmental responsibility lies with industry and government rather than individuals (6%). When asked to make predictions about the most likely developments to aviation in the long term, only a quarter expect the industry to be carbon neutral by 2050, although a half believe electric aircraft will have overtaken conventional equivalents by then.

Unsurprisingly, the survey found older people are far less tolerant of noise than the younger generation and less likely to agree to experiencing more aircraft noise if it meant reducing it for others living under a flight path.

The research was conducted online between 4-6 March 2020 through the Ipsos MORI Online Panel, with 1,000 members of the panel taking part and the data weighted to be representative of the UK population.

“Aviation is an intrinsic force for good in the world and the pandemic has shown us how much we all rely on making human connections. Flying unites people, cultures and businesses while also employing 80 million people around the world, and yet the results of the Aviation Index are sending us a very clear message – we must urgently address climate change,” said Ian Jopson, Head of Sustainable Operations at NATS.

“It is up to us as an industry to demonstrate that we can do that without sacrificing the enormous benefits that flying brings to us all.”

NATS said with traffic levels at record lows as a result of the pandemic, there was an historic opportunity to look at how UK airspace could be redesigned to take advantage of the navigation capabilities of modern aircraft and cut emissions and fuel burn.

“Navigating the Covid crisis is an enormous challenge for our industry right now but we cannot afford to ignore climate change,” said Jopson. “In fact, it may be an opportunity to put in place lasting benefits so we can continue to enjoy flying in the years and decades to come. It’s up to us as an industry to rise to the occasion.”

Photo: NATS

Following its flight from Cranfield University’s airfield, ZeroAvia is now planning the next and final stage of its six-seat development programme with a 250-mile zero-emission flight out of an airfield in Orkney, Scotland before the end of this year.

The programme in the UK is part-funded through the UK government’s Aerospace Technology Institute, which is supporting the HyFlyer project that aims to decarbonise medium-range small passenger aircraft by demonstrating powertrain technology to replace conventional piston engine in propeller aircraft. As well as Protium, other partners in the project include the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and Intelligent Energy. The latter is optimising its high-power fuel cell technology for application in aviation while EMEC, producers of green hydrogen from renewable energy, is supplying the hydrogen required for flight testing and developing a mobile refuelling platform compatible with the plane.

ZeroAvia has joined the UK’s Jet Zero Council, a government and industry partnership launched by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this summer to drive net-zero ambitions for the UK aviation and aerospace sector. Along with government ministers, the Council is made up of representatives from the aviation industry, investor groups and an NGO, and will be chaired by the UK’s Transport Secretary and Business Secretary. The full list of Council members has now been published by the government.

The principal aims of the body are to:

• Develop and industrialise zero-emission aviation and aerospace technologies;
• Establish UK production facilities for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and commercialising the industry by driving down production costs; and
• Develop a coordinated approach to the policy and regulatory framework needed to deliver net zero aviation by 2050.

“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges faced by modern society, and we know we need to go further and faster if we are to make businesses sustainable long into the future,” said Aviation Minister Robert Courts. “That’s why we’re bringing together government, business and investors to reduce emissions in the aviation sector. Through innovative technologies such as sustainable fuels, hybrid and eventually electric planes, we will build a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for all.”

Sustainable Aviation (SA), which committed in February to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, believes a UK SAF industry could add £2.9 billion ($3.7bn) annually to the economy, create 20,000 jobs in SAF production and export services, and deliver savings of 3.6 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2038. The industry group is calling for £500 million ($640m) in government funding, made up of £429 million in government-backed loan guarantees for the initial first-of-its-kind SAF production facilities, £50 million in grants and development support for new SAF technologies, and £21 million to establish a UK clearing house to enable SAF testing and approval.

The SA-commissioned research undertaken by energy consultancy E4tech showed 14 SAF production facilities could be built in seven industrial clusters situated in Teesside, Humberside, North West England, South Wales, Southampton, St Fergus and Grangemouth, Scotland. Humberside is the intended location for the Altalto waste-to-jet-fuel facility proposed by Velocys and backed by British Airways and Shell, which is expected to be the first in the UK to produce SAF.

“The research shows that it is possible to deliver on the government’s Jet Zero ambition and transform aviation using readily available feedstocks, innovative technology and existing aircraft,” commented Henrik Wareborn, CEO of Velocys. “With Altalto, the Humber could fuel this transformation, cutting carbon and creating jobs in the process. As a key cluster for the development of this new domestic industry, the region has a fantastic opportunity to establish itself as the global hub for fuelling future air travel.”

Added Adam Morton, Chair of Sustainable Aviation: “Sustainable aviation fuels will be essential for the global aviation industry in a net zero world and the UK has a golden opportunity to become a world-leader by commercialising this technology at an early stage.

“There are enormous benefits in terms of jobs and growth across these clusters. By backing SAF in this way, the government can kickstart a green recovery and create high-quality and futureproof jobs for thousands of people. All of this can be delivered at the same time as slashing carbon emissions.”

Speaking at a cross-party parliamentary debate he called to discuss the work of the Jet Zero Council, Andrew Selous MP said: “We should harness our huge strength in aviation technology and engineering to find new solutions to allow us to fly without wrecking the planet.

“We also need to ensure that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of sustainable aviation, so that the high-skilled, high-wage jobs of the future are provided here. We cannot leave this to chance, as has unfortunately happened with other technologies in the past.”

Responded Aviation Minister Robert Courts: “Britain has always led the way on aviation, and we will continue to do so. There is a huge prize in sight: developing the sector that meets the challenges of the future, and we will be front and centre, capturing those first mover advantages.”

Commenting after the debate, Morton said: “The support from a broad range of MPs from right across the political landscape is testament to this crucial issue. It’s so important to see this coalition come together to back early stage sustainable aviation fuel facilities.”

The next meeting of the Jet Zero Council is due to take place at the end of this month, which Sustainable Aviation said would be an opportunity for government and industry to discuss and make progress on accelerating the development of early-stage SAF facilities.

The only environmental group represented on the Council is the Aviation Environment Federation. Its Director, Tim Johnson, said: “Some government support and incentive for sustainable aviation fuel R&D is reasonable, and happens already, but that helps to accelerate bringing a product to market. But once at market, the question is scaling up and getting it into the fleet. The quid pro quo must therefore be that industry accepts it can’t rely on voluntary approaches and market forces, which hasn’t really worked to date for SAF because it doesn’t create certainty for investors – and that governments must regulate and introduce effective carbon pricing that ensures uptake.”

Photo: ZeroAvia’s Piper M-class retrofitted aircraft undertakes first hydrogen flight

“Rolls-Royce is committed to playing a leading role in reaching net zero carbon by 2050,” said Rob Watson, Director – Rolls-Royce Electrical. “The completion of ground testing for the ACCEL project is a great achievement for the team and is another important step towards a world record attempt. This project is also helping to develop Rolls-Royce’s capabilities and ensure that we remain a leader in delivering the electrification of flight, an important part of our sustainability strategy.”

The testing involved running the propeller up to full speed of approximately 2,400 rpm using what Rolls-Royce claims is the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for aircraft propulsion. Over 6,000 cells are packaged in the battery for maximum safety, minimum weight and full thermal protection, it said.  Other companies involved in the project are YASA, a manufacturer of axial-flux electric motors and controllers for automotive and aerospace applications, and Electroflight, a technology and engineering services business that supplies bespoke battery systems for the aerospace sector.

The first flight is planned for later this year, with an attempt on beating the current all-electric flight world speed record expected to follow next year. The project is also the first at Rolls-Royce to use offsetting to make the whole programme carbon neutral.

“The ACCEL team is pioneering the integration of high-performance batteries, motors and drives to deliver an electric propulsion system in an ambitious flight test programme. These technologies and the systems integration needed to utilise them hold great potential for future sustainable aviation, which is why the ATI is proud to support the project,” said the ATI’s Mark Scully, Head of Technology for Advanced Systems & Propulsion.

Added UK Business and Industry Minister Nadhim Zahawi: “The completion of ground testing for the government-backed ACCEL project is not only a step towards an exciting world record attempt, but a leap towards developing all-electric and hybrid-electric planes that one day could ferry large numbers of passengers around the world.”

Created by the ATI and Boeing, and run by leading European accelerator Ignite, Rolls-Royce is joining the accelerator programme’s second cohort, which has opened applications to invest into sustainability-enabling start-ups that will benefit the UK aerospace industry across three key areas of focus: Industry 4.0, Lifecycle and Resilience, and Energy. This includes innovative energy and energy storage solutions such as battery lifecycle optimisation, alternatives for rare earth materials, hydrogen management solutions and sustainable aviation fuels.

Selected companies may receive £100,000 ($128,000) equity investment from Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures, together with first-hand access to strategists and technical experts from the programme’s partners and corporate sponsor GKN Aerospace. In light of the new Rolls-Royce partnership, applications for cohort two have been extended and will close on October 4. The programme will be running two cohorts a year, with each cohort made up of 8-10 start-ups, and is open to companies domiciled outside the UK.

“Having worked alongside the ATI, Boeing and GKN Aerospace, we’ve seen how much start-ups appreciate the access to top-class resources that these companies offer and we are incredibly excited about the opportunities that our next cohort will receive through our partnership with Rolls-Royce,” said Gabi Matic, Programme Director at ATI Boeing Accelerator.   

In July, the ATI launched the government-backed FlyZero project with the aim of accelerating the adoption of more sustainable technology solutions and achieve zero-carbon commercial flight by the end of the decade. It plans to identify the zero-carbon technology solutions that could bring the largest impact to reducing overall aviation emissions in support of the UK government’s 2050 net-zero objective. An overview of the project was presented in a webinar held in August.

Photo: Rolls-Royce ACCEL