Significant funding boost for sustainable aviation
Britain’s Jet Zero Council met at Farnborough Airport to unveil a two-year-plan aimed at helping sustainable aviation takeoff as Philip New report unveiled.
Speaking at the gathering, which was part of the Sustainable Skies World Summit, Transport Secretary Mark Harper delivered a keynote speech on Monday 17th April, outlining ongoing work to explore and develop new technologies and cleaner fuels.
The meeting spotlighted the ambition of realising net zero emission flights by 2050 – a crucial target in the overall ambition of the UK and other countries to hit carbon neutrality that year.
The Jet Zero Council – made up of industry, academic and political leaders – presented a number of ways in which the production of sustainable aviation fuels can move faster, including investment in developing SAF plants, lowering production costs and supporting wider research in the field.
The Council is focused on accelerating design, manufacture and rollout of zero emission aircraft and associated infrastructure at UK airports. The Department for Business and Trade has itself ringfenced £1m to fund the UK Hydrogen Capability Network – Phase 0 Project.
This 12-month study, led by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), will see public and private sector collaborate to define an operating model for open access research and development facilities. This will focus on speeding up liquid hydrogen aviation advancements in propulsion prototypes, capabilities and skillsets. The possibilities of green liquid hydrogen will also be explored.
This investment is in addition to the £165m Advanced Fuel Fund, which is already supporting five new projects. Meanwhile, a £685m budget has been allocated to the ATI Programme through to 2025.
‘It’s fantastic for the Jet Zero Council to be meeting today at Sustainable Skies, maintaining the momentum built by government and industry on our vital journey to decarbonising aviation,’ said Emma Gilthorpe, CEO of the Jet Zero Council.
‘The Two-Year Plan published today, building on recent government commitments to secure demand for SAF in the UK, will ensure we continue to accelerate progress and achieve the Jet Zero Council’s objectives of delivering 10% SAF in the UK fuel mix by 2030 and zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation,’ she added.
Elsewhere, the report Developing a UK SAF Industry has also been widely welcomed. Created by Philip New, former CEO of Energy Systems Catapult and BP Alternative Energy, the document evaluates the necessary conditions for Britain to support a successful SAF sector.
Image: Belinda Fewings
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