aireg – Competence Center for Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Germany

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Freedom and mobility are of paramount importance to our open societies - preserving these achievements well into the future requires fast decarbonization of aviation. In this Webinar series, we specify the climate impact of aviation, report on current developments dealing with sustainable aviation, present different technology pathways and much more. We aim to generate a broad knowledge transfer and promote networking to push on with decarbonization.

Our speaker Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Kaltschmitt, deputy chairman of the board and head of the Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics (IUE) at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), introduces you to aireg’s Roadmap for the Development and Introduction of Sustainable Aviation Fuels. This aims to reach a significant share of sustainable aviation fuels and contains:

• research and development (R&D) of corresponding manufacturing technologies
• milestones for technological development
• regulatory and other supporting measures

The detailed aireg Roadmap "Sustainable Aviation Fuels - Status, Options, Necessary Actions" to the short version on "Roadmap on the Develpment and Introduction of Sustainable Aviation Fuels" already published a few months ago is "ready to fly" and available as pdf here.

The aireg roadmap describes the status quo, identifies options for SAF across the full range of feedstocks, and points to needs for action that are necessary for the production and market introduction of sustainable synthetic kerosene, and thus crucial for sustainable aviation. The joint efforts of industry, politics, research and society are now required to initiate the necessary steps and offer measures to achieve this.

The members of the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany e.V. welcome the National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS) adopted by the Federal Cabinet on June 10th 2020. It is quite rightly stated that aviation will be dependent on liquid fuels for the foreseeable future. Sustainable aviation fuels, for whose green hydrogen production is important in any case, i.e. irrespective of whether they are biogenous or electricity-based, are the decisive factor for reducing GHG emissions in aviation.

Melanie Form, member of the board and head of the office of aireg e.V., told NWS: "The use of kerosene from Power-to-Liquid (PtL) processes is essential to achieve a significant reduction of GHG emissions in aviation in the medium to long term. However, blue or green hydrogen can already be used today to produce near-fuelled synthetic kerosene. The project recently launched by aireg members Sunfire and Neste in the port of Rotterdam demonstrates exactly this development. In addition, a project financed by the German Federal Ministry of Transport was already carried out in 2016/2017 on aireg initiative, in which the project partners DBFZ, IE Leipzig and LBST demonstrated the chances and challenges that result from the combination of PtX and HEFA production."

Kay Kratky, President for Industry and Aviation, added: "We cannot wait another 10 years for the first significant quantities of PtL kerosene. Instead, Germany should move as quickly as possible into the use of sustainable kerosene based on biogenic raw materials as well, such as the technology of Caphenia, another aireg member, which will be available in larger quantities in 2 to 3 years. The aireg roadmap proposes possible approaches to this end. The rapid introduction of a quota for sustainable aviation fuels in relation to European kerosene sales would make sense, as it would support market development and create investment incentives for manufacturers, and keep the economic burdens on end-users within acceptable limits.”

The "Roadmap for the Introduction and Development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels" recently prepared by the aireg members proposes a development path for the introduction of sustainable fuels (SAF) taking into account technological, ecological, economic and regulatory frameworks and requirements.

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The members of the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany e. V. have worked closely together to draw up a roadmap showing ways to develop and introduce Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). Sustainable Aviation Fuels have great potential to become a key driver for the reduction of greenhouse gases in aviation. This requires great efforts to develop appropriate regulations and promotional measures to support the development of commercial production facilities and suitable conditions of use for SAF, thus ensuring the economic competitiveness of SAF. The roadmap developed by the aireg members shows a possible development path for this, taking into account technological, ecological, economic and regulatory framework conditions and requirements.

Click here to download.

The importance of aviation for the high quality of life and the economic prosperity of Germany is undisputed. However, the mobility of the future should not only be safe and flexible but should also meet the increased requirements for environmental and climate protection.

Sustainability and climate protection are central topics of the aviation sector. Already in 2008 the aviation industry committed itself to global emission reduction targets. These targets initially include an increase in fuel efficiency of at least 1.5% per year. In addition, air traffic growth should be CO2-neutral from 2020 onwards. By 2050 the aviation industry wants to reduce the CO2 emissions by as much as 50% compared to the CO2 emissions in 2005.

However, the enormous growth prospects of the aviation sector require additional efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. Unlike ground-based traffic aviation will not have any alternatives to liquid, hydrocarbon-based fuels in the foreseeable future.

The use of renewable fuels represents a considerable potential for reducing CO2 emissions in air traffic. Their technical and operational readiness of sustainable jet fuels has already been successfully proven in thousands of test flights and in regular service.

The development and market introduction of sustainable alternative aviation fuels plays an important key role. Here, the determining factor is the raw material price. The construction and expansion of the refinery capacity represents an additional cost reduction potential. Only with price parity to fossil kerosene regenerative aviation fuel will make a significant and lasting contribution to climate protection in aviation.

Alternative fuels have to be produced and offered at competitive prices. Here, the most important factor is the raw material price. The development and expansion of refinery capacity represents an additional cost reduction potential. Only with the price parity to fossil kerosene regenerative aviation fuel will make a significant and lasting contribution to climate protection in aviation.

• Operation of a Bio-SAF plant in Germany
• Establishment of a PtL-Demonstration Centre (10-15 kt per year) Industrialisation
• 2 % blending obligation of sustainable, renewable fuels into aviation fuels