Today commercial aviation contributes 2.5% of global CO2. If no steps are taken by 2050, the number will go up to an astonishing 22% or even more.
This is why we are already taking small steps to get to 100% emission-free aviation.
The 'greenest' and best fuel for sustainable aviation is hydrogen. We are working hard to be the first hydrogen-powered airline in the world. But before hydrogen-powered aircraft are commercially viable, there is an interim solution - Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
Why do we need to change aviation?
What solutions are available?
hydrogen fuel cell aircraft emit no CO2 and no nitrogen oxides
wherever there is water, there is hydrogen
fly father and carry more compared to battery-electric aircraft
hydrogen aviation is electric aviation, which means reduced noise and reduced vibration
When is hydrogen coming to aviation?
Is hydrogen safe?
Hydrogen has been used in heavy industry for many years. It has recently gained traction in aviation and other industries due to technology leaps that have decreased production cost and improved hydrogen fuel cell efficiency. In addition, government tax subsidies and other financial support are further reducing hydrogen production cost.
A hydrogen fuel cell is similar to a battery. In both, a fuel is oxidized by an oxidizer across a membrane. The membrane prevents a direct reaction between the oxidizer and the fuel, forcing electrons through a circuit to complete the reaction. The electrons flowing through the circuit are used to power an electric motor. Whereas fuel and oxidizer are stored within a battery, in a fuel cell, fuel is stored away from the fuel cell in fuel tanks and oxidizer is ingested from the atmosphere (in the form of O2).
Like any fuel, hydrogen must be handled with due regard for safety. But in many ways, hydrogen is safer than jet fuel. For example, the byproducts of jet fuel combustion and oxidation are toxic, whereas the byproducts of hydrogen combustion and oxidation is simply water. As another example, jet fuel burns slowly, so fires tend to linger, but hydrogen burns quickly, meaning that hydrogen fires are over quickly. Finally, jet fuel vapor tends to pool, creating a fire hazard, but hydrogen evaporates into the atmosphere, reducing fire risk.
SAF is synthetic jet fuel made from recycled carbon. Before Air Cahana gets to hydrogen, we have a path to 100 percent SAF.
Here is how it will work: We fly our customers using SAF. Our fuel suppliers remove our carbon emissions from the atmosphere and use that carbon to make more SAF. We buy that SAF and fly more customers. Repeat. We are not buying carbon credits, we are actually using SAF!
SAF is synthetic jet fuel and is nearly identical to jet fuel made from crude oil extracted from the ground.
SAF is a renewable biofuel, made from recycled carbon. The carbon in SAF is not taken from the ground, but from the air.
By using SAF, rather than continuously emitting carbon into the atmosphere, we can simply recycle carbon through the atmosphere.
