The global aviation industry is accelerating its exploration of low-carbon development
Recently, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Smart Cargo Hub (SCC) announced a partnership to enhance a common approach to carbon emissions calculations in an effort to provide consistent and transparent carbon emissions calculation support to the air cargo industry. In recent years, many countries around the world have actively participated in the research and development and promotion of sustainable fuels, supported green supporting industries, and major industry players such as airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, and manufacturers have also continued to make efforts to improve operational efficiency and accelerate green transformation, and the pace of low-carbon development of the global air transport industry has been accelerating.
Scaling up sustainable aviation fuel production
In October 2021, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved a resolution at its 77th Annual Meeting to achieve net-zero carbon emissions for the global air transport industry by 2050. According to the association's forecast, global air passenger traffic will be close to 10 billion by 2050, and a cumulative reduction of 21.2 billion tons of carbon emissions will be required.
Fuel combustion accounts for nearly 80% of the aviation industry's total carbon emissions, and the development of clean aviation energy is important. In November 2023, ICAO adopted the Global Framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Low-Carbon Aviation Fuel and Other Clean Aviation Energy for Aviation. ICAO and its Member States agree to continue to scale up the production of sustainable, low-carbon aviation fuel and other clean aviation energy sources, subject to reduced production costs, financing and technical support, in order to achieve a shared vision of reducing CO2 emissions from international aviation by 5% by 2030 compared to not using cleaner energy sources.
Many countries around the world have taken measures to promote the development of the sustainable aviation fuel industry. More than 20 major economies have elevated the development of sustainable aviation fuel to the national strategic level, and have formulated relevant development plans, roadmaps and supporting policies. As of 2022, more than 50 airlines around the world have used SAF on 450,000 flights, and around 5 million tonnes of SAF purchase agreements have been reached. At the end of 2023, a British Virgin Atlantic passenger plane flew from London Heathrow Airport to New York, becoming the world's first intercontinental flight to carry 100% sustainable aviation fuel.
At present, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation has developed a variety of sustainable aviation fuels, including the use of waste edible oil, non-edible oil, biomass and other raw materials, and has provided more than 1,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel for Air China and other aviation companies. In January this year, Henan Junheng Industrial Group Biotechnology Co., Ltd. received airworthiness approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its SAF, marking the first time that SAF produced by a private petrochemical company in China has been officially approved for airworthiness and can be put into commercial use.
As of April 2023, 25 airlines have set or committed to setting science-based targets. According to an analysis by consulting firm McKinsey, these airlines account for more than 30% of global passenger traffic. The International Air Transport Association predicts that global production of sustainable aviation fuel will exceed 600 million litres in 2023, double the production in 2022. To achieve the target of reducing CO2 emissions by 5% by 2030, the world needs to produce around 17.5 billion litres of sustainable aviation fuel.
Actively develop electric and hydrogen aircraft
At the beginning of this year, the AG60E electric aircraft independently developed by Aviation Industry General Aircraft Corporation of China Co., Ltd. successfully completed its first flight, accumulating important experience for the development of electric aircraft products and the electrification of existing fixed-wing aircraft. In 2022, the world's first all-electric aircraft, "Alice", manufactured by aircraft manufacturer Eviation, made its maiden flight in the United States. At present, driven by the dual promotion of the low-altitude economy and the emission reduction of the aviation industry, electric aircraft have become a trend and have entered the demonstration stage.
Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft are an important part of electric aviation, and the main application scenario is intercity low-altitude flight. According to the UK government's recently announced "Flying Future" action plan, the first electric flying taxis will be tested in 2026. "The most important technology in electric aviation is the battery – the energy density of the battery is directly related to how far and how long the aircraft can fly. Chen Peng, deputy director of the Electric Aviation Branch of the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said.
Some countries see the application of hydrogen as an important option to decarbonize the aviation industry. In February 2022, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Airbus, Changi Airport Group and industrial gases and engineering company Linde Group signed a cooperation agreement to form the Singapore Hydrogen Cooperation Committee to study the development of aviation hydrogen supply and infrastructure. Airbus launched its zero-emission commercial aircraft program in September 2020 and unveiled three hybrid hydrogen concept aircraft, tentatively scheduled for prototype flight in 2025. Airbus also announced that it will launch a hydrogen aircraft demonstration project with partners around 2025 to conduct ground and flight tests of hydrogen-fueled engines in preparation for the launch of the first zero-emission aircraft in 2035.
China is one of the largest and most promising civil aviation markets in the world. In October 2023, China issued the "Green Aviation Manufacturing Industry Development Outline (2023-2035)", proposing development goals by 2025 and 2035, and exploring new fields and new tracks of green aviation by developing multiple technology routes at the same time. Among them, we will strive to put electric general aviation aircraft into commercial application by 2025. The outline proposes that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, small aircraft will be electric, and large and medium-sized aircraft such as trunk and branch lines will adhere to the coexistence of new aerodynamic layout, sustainable aviation fuel and hybrid power. At the same time, it actively explores technical routes such as hydrogen energy and liquefied natural gas, and looks forward to the layout of future industries.
According to the analysis, with the continuous breakthrough of new energy batteries, motors, sensors, flight control systems and aviation composite materials and other related technologies, the market application scale is expanding day by day, which will help the green and intelligent development and transformation of the aviation manufacturing industry.
Promote emission reduction measures such as carbon offsets
Recently, when the reporter took a flight at Singapore Changi Airport, he found that by downloading the relevant mobile app, the carbon emissions of the journey can be calculated after entering the flight number, and passengers can choose to pay the corresponding amount to purchase carbon offset credit to offset the carbon emissions generated by the flight. According to airport staff, Singapore's Changi Airport Group launched a carbon offset scheme in November last year, and the funds will be used to support sustainable development projects.
Carbon offsets, or carbon offsets, are generally used to offset the greenhouse gases produced by each individual in their daily lives by purchasing carbon credits. Changi Airport Group Senior Vice President Li Lifen said the carbon offset scheme gives passengers the option to participate in and support the project to protect the environment. This year, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore also plans to reduce the energy consumption of airport operations by adding solar panels, switching to clean energy vehicles, improving electricity efficiency, importing low-carbon electricity and converting waste into energy.
Some airlines are also actively reforming and optimizing their operations to reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption. For example, the route is optimized, and more fuel-efficient flying, taxiing and other schemes are adopted. According to a McKinsey report, Chinese airlines are actively promoting fleet upgrades, including the introduction of next-generation aircraft models by the Middle East, and the continuous promotion of winglet retrofitting and engine modifications in the fleet to improve fuel efficiency.
In 2016, ICAO adopted the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Plan for International Aviation, which aims to establish a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions and ultimately achieve market-based regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation. ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar said that while there are still many technical challenges in decarbonizing the aviation industry, the aviation industry is the first to introduce carbon offsets based on the global market, which has played an important role in encouraging sustainable aviation. With the concerted efforts of ICAO, its Member States, civil aviation partners, and others, the aviation sector should remain firmly committed to achieving emissions reduction targets.
