Hydrogen and electric flight propulsion may not be an alternative for Qantas' international operations for the foreseeable future, but the airline believes it could be operating on synthetic kerosene made from hydrogen and CO2 with the help of renewable energy as soon as mid-2030.

From biofuels to synthetics

The world is holding its breath (literally and figuratively), waiting for decarbonization technologies to mature. Aviation is one of the admittedly most challenging sectors to wean off carbon-based fuels. Short- and medium-haul are set to benefit from new and upcoming propulsion technology, such as electric, hydrogen fuel cells, and hydrogen combustion. However, most agree that to move the emissions needle significantly for long-haul, we will need sustainable aviation fuel - and lots of it.

Meanwhile, not all SAF is created equal. Second-generation biofuels are better than kerosene (from an environmental perspective) but also come with their fair share of issues. Much of the industry agrees that they are an intermediary transition on the road to synthetic fuels or Power-to-Liquids (PtL).

While they will require an enormous amount of green hydrogen and renewable energy, Australian flag carrier Qantas believes they could power its long-haul flights (such as the recently reaffirmed Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul) by the middle of the next decade. Speaking to the Financial Times on Tuesday, the carrier's Chief Sustainability Officer, Andrew Parker, said PtL could prove the 'Nirvana' of sustainable aviation fuel, as it will not compete with food crops for arable land.

Qantas Airbus Fleet rendering
Image: Airbus 

Renewable energy leaders could be early PtL movers

Parker said that the most realistic path to net-zero for Qantas would consist mainly of SAF, as the drop-in fuel can be used to power already existing aircraft models (such as the Airbus A350-1000ULR the airline has chosen for its nonstop London to Sydney flights). He stated that,

“We don’t see that, based on existing technology, you will be on a Sydney to London Qantas plane with a hydrogen fuel cell or battery cell. Hydrogen-powered aircraft will not have range capability. These will be short-haul aircraft.”

One of the major issues with scaling the production of synthetic fuels is the copious amounts of energy needed for the process. And since it is intended to be sustainable, that energy needs to come from renewable sources. This is in short supply as it is, and the airline industry cannot expect to have exclusive access to it. However, Australia, which currently offers no domestically produced SAF (although that is set to change), could be an ideal place to manufacture PtLs due to its solar and wind power capabilities. Parker continued,

“To get that reaction, which outside of splitting the atom is incredibly energy-intensive, you need a lot of energy. And that’s why to synthesise these fuels, you need renewable energy.”

Commercial-scale e-fuels on their way

Synthetic fuels are thus far only available in smaller quantities, albeit commercially sold by energy startups - or "carbon transformation companies" such as Twelve. Last year, KLM operated a commercial passenger flight from Amsterdam to Madrid powered by an admixture of 500 liters of sustainable synthetic kerosene produced by Shell. Germany's Lufthansa has committed to purchasing 25,000 liters per year for five years from the world's first industrial electricity-based kerosene plant that opened in Emsland in October last year.

Qantas does not intend to wait for synthetic fuels to become readily available before it starts deploying aircraft near and far powered partially by SAF. Two months ago, the carrier signed a significant deal to operate flights from California with over 35 million gallons of biofuel from certified waste product feedstocks, adding to the SAF it is already purchasing for flights out of London. The airline has also invested AU$50 million ($35.05 million) to support the development of a domestic SAF industry.

Source: The Financial Times