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☆ Corn to Power Airplanes? Biden Administration Sets a High Bar.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Max Bearak | Dionne Searcey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a move aimed at lowering the greenhouse gas emissions of air travel, the Biden administration on Tuesday issued new guidelines for how fuel producers — and in particular, makers of ethanol from corn — could qualify for tax credits under a plan to increase the supply of so-called sustainable aviation fuel. It’s especially difficult to transition airplanes away from traditional jet fuel because there are so few affordable alternatives capable of getting a plane off the ground. The global aviation sector accounts for about 3 percent of the world’s total emissions, and most jet fuel today is made from fossil fuels. President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act offered federal tax credits for sustainable aviation fuels, industry jargon for jet fuel made without fossil fuels, that cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent. For months now, federal officials have been evaluating research to decide how to measure whether various biofuel-based alternatives meet that standard.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s

☆ F1's net-zero pledges are colliding with its ambitions to go truly global
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Chris Hawes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Oscar Piastri of McLaren during the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 9, 2024. But with the Japanese Grand Prix this coming weekend, F1's beleaguered boss Stefano Domenicali will finally be able to provide a rebuttal. F1's growing ambitions in the Middle East and the U.S. have at times transcended the sport. Las Vegas airports dealt with 400 private jets arriving for the Grand Prix, while Singapore saw a 63% increase in September flight arrivals compared to the previous year when its Grand Prix was pushed into October. Third placed Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 03, 2023 in Monza, Italy.

Persons: Oscar Piastri, Stefano Domenicali, Alexander De Croo, Domenicali, Clive Mason, Stephane Bazire, Bazire, I've, Stefano, Colin Syn, We've, Francois Dumontier, Madeleine Orr, Paul Fowler, Carlos Sainz of, Dan Istitene Organizations: McLaren, Formula, Saudi, Jeddah Corniche, Nurphoto, Getty, United Arab, U.S, Belgian, Formula One, of Australia, Albert, Circuit, F1, Silverstone, CNBC, Las, Prix, Singapore, Singapore Grand Prix, Canadian, Italy's Emilia, Grand Prix, Williams, DHL, Ferrari, of, Autodromo Nazionale Monza Locations: Jeddah, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Monza, Italy, Monaco, United Arab Emirates, Europe, America, Las Vegas, Singapore, Japan, Miami, Grand, Canada, Australia, Carlos Sainz of Spain

☆ Will guilt-free long-haul flights ever be possible? Here’s what we know
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is a type of alternative jet fuel that can curb carbon emissions by up to 80%. The main reason for the slow adoption is that it’s still more expensive – between 1.5 to 6 times pricier than regular jet fuel. Boeing is not out of the race either, but doesn’t see a hydrogen long-haul plane as around the corner. On medium- and long-haul flights, we don’t see it as a direct source of propulsion until 2040. We would need to see magnitude-order changes [in batteries] for us to consider those for long-haul flights.

Persons: ”, Gary Crichlow, Gökçin Çınar, Ryan Faucett, Alexandre Doumenjou, Andreas Schäfer, Britten, “, Artemis, that’s, Boeing’s Faucett, “ You’re, Schäfer Organizations: CNN — Aviation, Boeing, “, Aviation Environment Federation, SAF, Airbus, University of Michigan, CNN, Virgin Atlantic, University College London, Cranfield Aerospace, Norman, Engineers, NASA, Critchlow Locations: London, Bangkok, New York, California, ZeroAvia

☆ E-Flight Challenge pitched a car against a plane -- and the car won
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Members of the E-Flight Challenge team lined up to watch the battery-powered airplane gracefully descend on the island of Norderney, just off the northwest coast of Germany. The long road ahead for electric aviationYou could say that the E-Flight Challenge takes its inspiration from the early days of aviation. The Elektra Trainer used in the E-Flight Challenge, for example, can carry a maximum of two people. Miquel RosIn this context, the E-flight Challenge served as an illustration of the challenges of electric flight – but also of its promise. The progress compared to just three years ago has been astonishing!” explains Morell Westermann, one of the E-Flight Challenge initiators.

Persons: Louis, Charles Lindbergh’s, Heart Aerospace –, –, Miquel Ros Italy’s Tecnam, China’s, Cuberg, ” Robin Riedel, Riedel, Norbert Werle, Tesla, Werle, ”, John Langford, Miquel Ros, Morell Westermann, Westermann Organizations: CNN, Lucid Motors Air, Louis Blériot’s, Channel, Heart Aerospace, United Airlines, Royce, Norwegian, Widerøe, Airbus, Boeing, Aerospace, McKinsey, Alamy, “ Aircraft, Lucid Motors Locations: Norderney, Germany, Gelnhausen, Frankfurt, Norway, Swedish, California, Berlin, The Virginia, “, Swiss

☆ Why these industrial giants are betting on the transition to clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"Right now, some of our favorite secular themes are the mega trends benefitting from a wave of federal spending — and the energy transition is one of those themes," he explained. CAT YTD mountain Caterpillar (CAT) year-to-date performance Elsewhere, Caterpillar has said the "energy transition and growing global energy demand are increasing [it's] total addressable market and furthering opportunities for long-term profitable growth." In terms of the energy transition, the company's aerospace business could see a boost from its development of sustainable aviation fuels. CEO Vimal Kapur last month said the industrials giant is "beginning to feel the urgency behind [the] energy transition." "Honeywell is in a unique position to both help the world meet today's growing energy needs, while also enabling the energy transition," Kapur said.

Persons: we're, Jeff Marks, Linde, Wall, I'm, Jim Cramer, Vimal Kapur, Kapur, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Krisztian Bocsi Organizations: Linde, LIN, Honeywell, Caterpillar, Investing, ExxonMobil, Exxon, BMO Capital Markets, Bank of America, CAT, CNBC, Linde AG, Treatment, Berlin, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: U.S, Berlin, Germany

☆ AirFrance-KLM invests in DG Fuels' US sustainable fuel production plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - French-Dutch airline AirFrance-KLM (AIRF.PA) has made a $4.7 million investment in DG Fuels' Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production plant in the U.S. state of Louisiana, a step towards its 10% SAF incorportation target for 2030. "Air France-KLM acquired an option to purchase up to 25 million gallons / 75,000 tons of SAF annually over a multi-year period beginning in 2029," the group said in a press release on Friday. Sustainable aviation fuels, which use waste such as cooking oils and have either net-zero CO2 emissions or lower CO2 emissions than kerosene, a fossil fuel, are seen as an option to curb air travel's carbon footprint. The European Union has adopted rules requiring flights departing from EU airports to carry a progressively increasing amount of SAF, starting from 2% of total fuel in 2025. Reporting by Stéphanie Hamel; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stéphanie Hamel, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: AirFrance, KLM, DG Fuels, Aviation Fuel, SAF, France, European, Thomson Locations: U.S ., Louisiana

☆ Germany's Scholz targets green jet fuel role, Airbus investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Transport Minister Volker Wissing attend the third national aviation conference at Lufthansa Technik, in Hamburg, Germany, September 25, 2023. Airbus (AIR.PA) is considering joining the consortium to use the fuel, HH2E said. Scholz also said Germany was targeting investment for a potential new plane to replace the Airbus single-aisle A320. "We would like to see further investment in aviation - not just in Hamburg, but throughout Germany, as part of the successor to the Airbus A320," he said. In July, Airbus expanded production of the same series in Toulouse, France, to meet rising demand.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Volker Wissing, Fabian Bimmer, HH2E, Scholz, Carsten Spohr, planemaker, Andreas Rinke, Tim Hepher, Rachel More, Friederike Heine, Barbara Lewis, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Lufthansa Technik, REUTERS, Rights, Airbus, DHL, National Aviation Conference, EU, Industry, Lufthansa, SAF, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Europe, France, German, Toulouse

An easyJet Airbus A320neo aircraft is parked on the tarmac of Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport, in Madrid, Spain, June 22 2022. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Easyjet PLC FollowLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Decarbonisation efforts in the aviation sector will cost more money, but that cost should not fall to the consumer, easyJet Chief Executive Johan Lundgren said on Wednesday. He added that options to decarbonise, like creating sustainable aviation fuels, are not yet at scale and cost three to five times more than typical jet fuel. Lundgren also said a wide range of stakeholders including governments needed to chip in to ensure decarbonisation costs remain low. A lot of the cost will depend on the speed of innovation, which Lundgren is hopeful can mitigate price hikes.

Persons: Adolfo Suarez, Isabel Infantes, Johan Lundgren, Lundgren, Sarah Young, Joanna Plucinska, Sachin Ravikumar, William James, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Airbus, Adolfo Suarez Madrid, Barajas Airport, REUTERS, Reuters IMPACT, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, London

☆ Here's how global trade will be key to unlocking the full potential of the green hydrogen market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Deloitte With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Inclusive, global trade is the keyFree trade can help lower the cost of energy transition. Deloitte's outlook showcases a steady hydrogen market growth, from $642 billion in annual revenue in 2030 to $1.4 trillion per year in 2050, in which green hydrogen comprises some 85% of the hydrogen market. Global trade between major regions can represent almost one-fifth of total clean hydrogen volume. The opportunity for developing economiesRegions with high renewable endowment and ample land availability could likely produce cost-competitive green hydrogen in quantities that exceed domestic needs. To find out more, read Deloitte's Green hydrogen: Energizing the path to net zero report.

Organizations: Government, Global, North, Deloitte Global, SAF, Deloitte Investments, Deloitte, Insider Studios, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Locations: North Africa, Australia, North America, East, South America, Africa, Japan, Korea, Europe, China, India, Middle East

☆ Robin Hood tariff could curb airline emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nevertheless, aircraft are responsible for about 4% of global warming from carbon emissions and the vapour trails they leave behind in the sky. A more viable short-term option is to run planes on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The third option is to tax either the kerosene that airlines burn or the emissions they spew out into the atmosphere. So far only the EU, United Kingdom and some smaller countries are doing this via emissions trading schemes (ETS). To work, the plan would need to channel Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Robin Hood, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Aviation, Reuters Graphics Reuters, SAF, European Union, EU, Transport, FLYERS, International Civil Aviation Organisation, United Nations, ICAO, ETS, Airlines, Council, Clean Transportation, Thomson Locations: TINOS, GREECE, Europe, America, China, Greece, United Kingdom, United States

☆ The Race to Invent a Greener Jet Fuel
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Ted Anton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sustainable aviation fuels are approaching a breakthrough moment. Made mostly from agricultural, food and industrial waste or crops, SAFs are produced chemically or through microbial fermentation, as in a brewery, from non-fossil-fuel materials. Such materials range from used beef fat to trash to waste carbon from the atmosphere or factories. Used in a blend with traditional jet fuel, SAFs promise to cut carbon emissions from jets by as much as 80%.

☆ The world’s most eco-conscious airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Elissa Garay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Most sustainability experts will scoff at the idea of “sustainable” and “airlines” in the same sentence. In 2022, an Airbus wide-body Beluga XL transport aircraft was filled with Sustainable Aviation Fuel" (SAF) for the first time. WiderøeNorway-based Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, says it is on track to become one of the world’s first fully emissions-free airlines. Alaska AirlinesAlaska Airlines has invested heavily in Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty ImagesWhile most major global airlines are targeting 2050 for net-zero carbon emissions, Alaska Airlines intends to meet that target as soon as 2040.

Persons: ”, Pedro Piris, Sola Zheng, Sina Schuldt, Nicolas Jammes, ” Akbar Al Baker, “, Zheng, –, that’s, it’s, Beata Zawrzel, Fabrizio Gandolfo, Nicolas Economou, Bauer, Griffin, It’s Organizations: CNN, Environmental Defense Fund, International Council, Clean Transportation, Commercial, International Air Transport Association, UN, Airbus, Beluga XL, Sustainable Aviation, Qatar Airways, SAF, European Union, Google, Environmental Defense, Airlines, United Airlines United, Aerospace, United, Flight Fund, Widerøe Norway, Widerøe, Royce, SAS SAS, Scandinavian, SAS, Wizz, Wizz Air, Etihad Airways Etihad, Getty, Etihad Airways, United Arab Emirates, Boeing, Etihad, Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines, Aviation Fuels, AaronP, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada Canadian, Air Canada Locations: Europe, Denmark, Sweden, ICCT, Scandinavia, Norway, Canada

☆ Avolon says $4 trln needed to transform global jet fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike BlakePARIS, June 13 (Reuters) - Global aviation needs $4 trillion of capital over the next 20 years to fund new commercial deliveries and transform the world's fleet, leasing firm Avolon said on Tuesday. The world's commercial passenger aircraft fleet is set to nearly double to 46,880 aircraft by 2042, the Dublin-based firm predicted. Environmental critics say such rapid growth of commercial aviation is at odds with its environmental objectives. Avolon has said the main focus should be on increasing the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Europe's Airbus will maintain leadership of the narrow-body market with its current 53% share of the fleet rising to 58% by 2042, Avolon predicted.

Persons: Mike Blake PARIS, Avolon, Tim Hepher, Conor Humphries Organizations: Delta Airlines, REUTERS, Global, . Airlines, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, Dublin, China

☆ Private jets get a bad rap. Jetex is trying to make them greener
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Rym Bendimerad | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Because they often travel shorter distances than commercial jets, private jets are generally less efficient, and their emissions per passenger are much higher. According to data from European non-profit Transport and Environment, private jets can be five to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes, and 50 times more polluting than trains. Yet the private aviation sector has seen considerable growth in recent years. EVTOL aircraft have a more limited range than private jets, and would be used for short flights around and between cities – which, in the future, could be an eco-friendlier option for the many celebrities who’ve been criticized for traveling short distances in their private jets. “We are seeing some really exciting innovations coming from private aviation,” said Dr. Kearns.

☆ Charm Industrial is getting $53 million for turning agricultural waste into oil that can be pumped underground to lock away carbon dioxide for 1 million years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The company says the oil hardens within days and it estimates the carbon dioxide is locked away for 1 million years. That's far more than the 6,055 tons that Charm Industrial has removed to date under pilot programs. Meeting that global climate goal will likely require billions of metric tons of carbon dioxide to be removed from the atmosphere by 2050. Startups like Climeworks are using fans to suck carbon dioxide out of the sky, while others are using enhanced weathering that speeds up the natural ability of minerals to store carbon dioxide. For its part, Charm Industrial buys agricultural waste from farmers and heats it to high temperatures in a contraption called a pyrolyzer.

☆ EU agrees to decarbonize air travel with the 'world's largest green fuels mandate for aviation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

EU officials described the agreement as a "turning point" and "another important step" for European aviation, saying the measures were designed to reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports and improve energy security. European Union negotiators secured a deal to decarbonize the air travel sector, seeking to slash heat-trapping emissions by stimulating the region's green aviation fuel market. The new rules are set to require aviation fuel suppliers to supply a minimum share of sustainable aviation fuels — or SAF — at EU airports, starting at 2% of overall fuel supplied by 2025. "Fuel suppliers at EU airports must provide an increasing share of sustainable aviation fuels and aircraft operators increase their use," Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president for the European Green Deal, said in a statement. If aviation is to align itself with the Paris climate accord and curb global heating, the industry will need to move away from fossil fuels completely in the long term.

The proposal aims to increase both demand for and supply of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which have net-zero CO2 emissions or low carbon emissions. The proposal sets binding targets for aviation fuel suppliers to ensure that all fuel made available to aircraft operators at EU airports contains a minimum share of SAFs from 2025, with the target increasing to 2050. In the nearer term, sustainable fuel is one of the few options to reduce air travel's carbon footprint. Airlines are set to receive around 2 billion euros in funding from the EU carbon market to help them switch to SAF. Biofuels can count towards the main SAF targets, so long as they comply with the EU's biomass sustainability criteria.

☆ Air fares will have to rise to clean up aviation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

He said that financiers and energy suppliers should invest in SAF production, including in emerging markets. The wealthy people in this room and wealthy nations should be funding the energy transition in aviation to help support developing countries,” he added. Holland-Kaye said that companies can play a major role accelerating the adoption of SAF because business travel accounts for about 30% of fuel used in aviation. In 2021, the industry pledged to replaced 10% of global jet fuel supply with SAF by 2030. Clean energy investments need a major boost if the world is to meet its climate goals, according to Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency.

☆ Airlines can price climate change into your plane ticket. There are reasons to not buy it
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

United Airlines , for example, has committed to net zero carbon by 2050 without any contribution from traditional carbon offsets. Southwest Airlines ' "Wanna offset carbon?" Consumer psychology and the environmentIt's not just about the dollar amount of the carbon offset purchase in the consumer psychology. If airline travelers want to stay environmentally conscious without paying carbon offset fees, Keyes recommends choosing cheaper airlines when traveling. "It's true that we all have a part to play in reducing carbon emissions.

☆ EU agrees law to make airlines pay more to pollute
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Airlines running flights within Europe currently have to submit permits from the EU's carbon market to cover their carbon dioxide emissions, but the EU gives them most of those permits for free. That will mean airlines will have to pay for their CO2 permits, providing a financial incentive for them to pollute less. Climate campaigners lamented that emissions from international flights would not be added to the carbon market sooner. "Average European families will continue to pay much more for their CO2 emissions than frequent long-haul flyers. EU countries and the bloc's Parliament both need to formally approve the law before it takes effect.

☆ Airlines warn of higher fares from green transition
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association, which includes most of the world's major airlines, called for swifter action in Europe to drive up scarce production of greener Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Air fares have already jumped this year as a result of higher prices for conventional fossil-based jet fuel. Environmental groups argue that air higher travel costs will help to rein in emissions by curbing growth in traffic. In July, the European Parliament backed rules on aviation fuel that set binding targets for the replacement of kerosene with less polluting sources, while extending the definition of what a green fuel could be. This year's U.S. Inflation Reduction Act includes significant subsidies to the SAF industry in the form of tax credits, but European industry leaders including the head of planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) have said the legislation is unfair.

☆ Taxation is a blunt instrument, IATA chief Willie Walsh says: 'The carrot is far more effective than the stick'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowThe aviation industry requires more carrot and less stick going forward to become more sustainable, according to the director general of the International Air Transport Association. "Quite honestly, all of the evidence that we have available shows that the carrot is far more effective than the stick," Walsh replied. Among other things, this would see both maritime and aviation fuels taxed. "So for us, the key to our goal is the use of sustainable aviation fuels — the science there is proven." "What we've got to do is turn what is very low levels of production of sustainable fuels into widespread availability."

☆ Virgin Atlantic just flew its first-ever A330-900neo on a brand new route from London to Florida — take a look inside the swanky jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

"We're calling on all airlines to invest in fleets, and we're doing a big push on sustainable aviation fuels," Weiss said. "There's not enough SAF in the world, let alone the UK, so there is a lot of work to be done in our quest for net-zero by 2050 and 10% SAF by 2030." Fueling Virgin's A330-900neo with SAF before flying to London for delivery.

☆ How the airline industry plans to wean itself off one billion tons of carbon emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But Taylor has nothing on the airline industry, whose annual CO2 emission is pushing one billion metric tons. Airlines have completed test flights with sustainable aviation fuels, and the deals with sustainable aviation fuel producers have started to accumulate. American is the first airline globally to receive validation from the Science Based Targets initiative for its intermediate GHG emissions reduction targets and the only U.S. airline to report using more than 1 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel in 2021. From ethanol, Gevo then processes further into a product that is chemically identical to standard aviation fuel. Judged against the standards of its own industry, American remains a leader in carbon reduction efforts.

☆ Meet 11 people leading the aviation industry's push to slash emissions and ditch fossil fuels
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-31 | by ( Maia Anderson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Experts have estimated that aviation is responsible for nearly 2% of global greenhouse-gas emissions and 2.5% of carbon-dioxide emissions. Some aviation giants, like United, are signing purchase agreements to buy electric aircraft. Today he serves as CEO and chairman of the company, which aims to be a pioneer in electric aircraft. In 2000 he founded Aviation Technology Group, which developed the ATG Javelin very light jet before ceasing operations in 2007. He is also a founding member of the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation.

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