A NEW report published by the CSIRO contends that clean hydrogen energy could be utilised by airports as soon as 2025 – significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the aviation industry.
The report, funded by Boeing, also asserts the sector has the potential to replace its reliance on conventional jet fuel completely in less than 40 years.
CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall said the current disruption to air travel caused by COVID-19 could precipitate a timely interval to rethink aviation’s energy model.
“As we see travel resume, hydrogen presents a key solution to enable a sustainable recovery for the industry using liquid renewable fuel, and to grow future resilience from threats like oil shocks,” Marshall said.
“Science becomes real in the hands of visionary partners like Boeing who are willing to embrace science to support the development of a whole new sustainable and resilient industry that supports a green recovery,” he added.
The Australian science agency’s report indicates that cryogenic hydrogen has a superior energy density by mass compared with kerosene and other standard air fuels, while also producing no CO emissions on combustion.
However, due to hydrogen’s density and mass, the study also concedes that current aircraft models would not be able to accommodate the larger volumes required for long-haul flights.
“This may lead to a move away from conventional aircraft design to revolutionary aerodynamic models,” the report notes.
“Coordinated research and development efforts are required in the near-term to enable the deployment of cryogenic hydrogen planes around 2050.”
Read the full report HERE.
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Source: traveldaily