Why planes will be powered by hydrogen before batteries
11
May
2023
By Andrew
Evers
With 4.5 billion passenger trips taken
each year and more than 16 million planes taking off in the U.S. every
year, aircraft are responsible for 2.5% of global CO2 emissions,
according to the Global Carbon Project, and the problem is growing.
One proposed solution rivals the power of fossil fuels without the
emissions — hydrogen. With the industry attempting to achieve net-zero
emissions by 2050, both big players like Airbus
and startups alike are exploring the
technology.
“Airbus has been looking at hydrogen for a long time and recently,
within the last years, has increased that focus. Looking at both
hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen combustion” says Martha Neubauer,
senior associate at AeroDynamic Advisory.
Two startups, ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen, are also pursuing
hydrogen-powered aircraft. Both have recently completed test flights
with regional-sized planes and are hoping to enter the market by 2025.
But significant challenges lie ahead, from getting regulatory approval
to developing the hydrogen infrastructure.
Watch the video to learn why Airbus and others are betting on
hydrogen.
