The Need to Go Green
A revolution in the aviation industry
—By Josh Abraham
When most people look up to the sky and see an airplane, more often than not, the first question they ask themselves is, “Where do you think it’s going?” While this happens, these people also fail to acknowledge the trail of dark, hazy fumes left in the airplane’s path.
Topics like air pollution often lead to heated debates regarding the increasing temperatures around the world. However, very rarely do people then take the time to investigate the cause of the problem and are content with accepting the pollution as inevitable. In order to combat these concerns, larger corporations and government agencies have begun to look at green energy initiatives aimed at decreasing carbon and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG). One industry in particular that has seen this transition first-hand is the transportation industry, specifically aviation.
Growing emissions
Global Warming is defined as the measured increase in the world’s temperature as a result of the continual combustion of fossil fuels. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), humans are responsible for almost all of the GHG increases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years. However, certain human activities and industries have disproportionately contributed to the growing emissions total. The EPA noted that in 2021, the transportation industry was responsible for the largest share of GHG emissions into the atmosphere at 26%. Due to a significant reliance on the burning of fossil fuels, the culmination of emissions generated from travel via car, boat, airplane, and train have historically been high and continue to grow year after year.
While some subsectors of transportation have taken steps to mitigate further atmospheric pollution, the aviation industry has only recently followed suit. My father, Stephen Abraham, has over 35 years of experience within the aviation industry with 29 years spent as an air traffic controller at John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport, and 6 years spent as an international airport terminal manager. Abraham has only recently begun to see a change. He notes that, “in the US the implementation of emission benchmarks have only just begun. The initial rule will require all new aircraft purchased after 2028 to reduce emissions.”
When discussing the aviation industry, it’s important to make the distinction between commercial vs. private airfare. Commercial airfare primarily serves the general public through scheduled flights operated by brand-name airlines, and are held to significantly stricter regulations. Aviation authorities and internationally signed agreements, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), hold commercial airlines to strict emissions standards in order to minimize GHG creation. Private airfare, on the other hand, offers greater flexibility and privacy, but at a higher cost. This sector is held to different and often lower emissions regulations.
Sustainable jet fuel
Both the commercial and private sectors are facing public pressure to find alternative solutions that would minimize greenhouse gas creation. While no solution is perfect, the development and recent implementation of Sustainable Jet Fuel (SJF) offers extensive potential benefits. According to Matteo Prussi, a senior researcher at Politecnico di Torino in Italy, SJFs are hydrocarbon-based fuels derived from non-petroleum sources; when burned, they can decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses created by upwards of 94%.
Sustainable jet fuels are relatively new to the world with its first successful development and usage taking place in 2016, supplying fuel to Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario International Airport. Today, According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), over 360,000 commercial flights have used SJF at 46 different airports largely concentrated in the United States and Europe.
From the perspective of airlines, sustainable jet fuels could end up being cost efficient. “Engine manufacturers are always trying to increase efficiency resulting in reduced fuel burn since it is the largest expense for airlines,” said Abraham. By reducing overall fuel burn, airlines will be able to travel further distances using the same amount of SJF as they would traditional jet fuel, while also reducing damage to the atmosphere.
“You are seeing sustainable fuel pop up more and more throughout the US,” said Gabi Teadoru, an aerospace engineering major at the University of Michigan. “Take a look at what is happening at SpaceX and Tesla…. They are both investing significant amounts of money into their development of efficient fuels because they know it’s the key to the future.”
Having spent time at both NASA and SpaceX, Teadoru confirms the reality that efficient fuels are the future of cleaner energy, specifically within transportation. The United States Department of Energy recently announced that they would be partnering with multiple government agencies for the purpose of expanding domestic consumption of SJF to 35 billion gallons by 2050 with the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge. By partnering with government agencies to expand the domestic consumption of SJF, initiatives like the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge continue to both demonstrate and promote a collective commitment to improving the environment.
Concerns of feasibility
Even with significant amounts of investment, the development of any new technology is expensive; in the case of sustainable jet fuel, that theory remains true. “The cost of ‘green’ fuel is three times the cost of regular fuel,” said Abraham. “Those costs make it completely unsustainable in the current business model.”
While cost is certainly a major drawback, another significant drawback of SJF comes in the form of supply-chain concerns. Dylan Peterson, a senior environmental crisis consultant at Denton Global Advisors, has worked with companies that have both produced and utilized SJF. “In the renewable energy space, production issues show up daily,” noted Peterson. “The technology, while revolutionary, is still in its infancy and there are still kinks creating lags during production.”
Even with excess demand, without a readily available supply of energy efficient fuel, delays will continue to halt further adoption of SJF. Additionally, fuel prices will remain high enough to the point where larger airlines that are looking to go green will be dissuaded and invest money in other aspects of technology. “In order for SJF to be adopted as the gold standard, the production process will need to reach an equilibrium similar to what is being seen with electric vehicles,” notes Peterson.
While Tesla and other hybrid electric vehicle companies have been able to find the sweet spot of managing production and costs, as evidenced by the company’s 500% increase in production over the last five years, the aviation industry is still figuring it out. In order for SJF to begin to tackle growing GHG emissions, supply-chain management and proper sourcing need to be established. Once efficiency is maximized, only then will we begin to see progress in mitigating the negative environmental impacts associated with air travel.
Looking forward
While going green on a macroeconomic scale has its benefits, why should the daily consumer care about transitioning to more green transportation methods? In order for substantive change to be created, larger companies can’t be the only ones making changes to support green energy. When Peterson was asked about the largest barrier to green energy implementation, he noted that local and state governments are the problem, not money. “In the renewable energy space, local communities are often the biggest barrier to development,” said Peterson. “Empowering state governments to override local ordinances against renewables is vital for the continued success of the industry.”
Within the University of Michigan’s college of Engineering, specifically its Aerospace Engineering department, a significant amount of research is being conducted into the field of sustainable aviation. While a lot of the research within the department is geared towards electric and hydrogen-powered aircrafts, Teadoru notes she has begun to see a shift towards more green energy and green fuel research such as advancements in hydrogen-powered aircraft propulsion systems.
“While most of the research conducted is mainly theoretical, some professors have begun to look at the local impacts sustainable jet fuels could have on the environment.” Teadoru notes that researchers are also looking into new applications of SJF outside of aviation.
The market for sustainable jet fuels is continuing to grow daily, with more and more people able to see its environmental benefits. While large-scale industry change is still years away, the future of SJFs creates the opportunity to improve both travel efficiency and environmental impact on both a local and global scale. People who have the means are always going to want to fly private, but by using sustainable fuel options, they can mitigate the carbon footprint associated with their travel and contribute to a more environmentally responsible aviation industry.
Feature Photo: courtesy of Jose Lebron on Unsplash