The department says it has the potential to save 80-90% of carbon per flight
London:
The Royal Air Force (RAF) has taken the top spot in the world by completing the first flight using only synthetic fuel, the Ministry of Defense said.
The team’s captain Peter Hackett completed a short flight aboard the Ikarus C42 microplane at an airport in Gloucestershire, western England, earlier this month.
“Zero Petroleum’s UL91 synthetic fuel is produced by extracting hydrogen from water and carbon from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” the MoD said in a statement Wednesday.
“Using energy generated from renewable sources such as wind or solar, they are combined to create synthetic fuels.”
The department says it has the potential to save 80-90% of carbon per flight and help the Air Force work towards its goal of using synthetic fuels to power fast jets of the future.
“This is the world’s first ‘innovation’,” said Defense Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin, whose government has set a target for Britain to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“While green technologies such as electric and hydrogen power generation are feasible for many RAF platforms, high-performance aircraft require a liquid fuel alternative, such as the UL91, to remain operational. “
The aviation industry – one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases – has embarked on a major effort to green its image and develop less polluting fuels.
RAF – whose motto is “per ardua ad astra” (through the struggle to reach for the stars) – is planning its first airbase to be zero by 2025 and to be carbon neutral across the line by 2020. 2040.
Synthetic or electronic fuels (e-fuels) use hydrogen, which is produced by electrolysis and capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
By combining the two, a fuel similar to aviation kerosene is obtained.
To be environmentally friendly, the electricity needed to produce it must be decarbonized and come from renewable or nuclear sources.
These advanced technologies are experimental but are still far more expensive than the renewable fuels being widely tested by the industry and more expensive than kerosene.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
