Hydrogen and electric aircraft could require 600-1,700 terawatt-hours (TWh) of clean energy by 2050, according to a new white paper from the World Economic Forum (WEF).
For context, the total amount of renewable energy produced in 2021 was just over 8,000 TWh globally.
To meet the estimated energy demand from hydrogen and electric aircraft in 2050 would require the amount of energy produced from 10-25 of the world’s largest wind farms, or a solar farm half the size of Belgium, the paper suggests.
Alternative, carbon-free propulsion options, such as battery and hydrogen-powered aircraft, are some of the options the aviation industry is pursuing to reach its net-zero carbon goals, stated the WEF report.
By some estimates, hydrogen and electric planes could account for 21-38 per cent of flights by 2050, it added.
“The aviation sector must make key investments in its infrastructure now if it wants to reach its net-zero target by 2050,” said David Hyde, Aerospace Projects Lead for WEF.
“Given that the share of aviation’s global warming impact is set to rise significantly if action is not taken, the sector must consider all the options available for decarbonisation.”
According to the WEF report, the timeline may feel distant, the first commercial flights by such aircraft are expected to take place this decade.
Airports, airlines and others will need to make heavy infrastructure investment to deliver the green hydrogen and electricity the aircraft will need, it stated.
The white paper, ‘Target True Zero: Delivering the infrastructure for battery- and hydrogen-powered flight’, explores what these infrastructure changes entail and how airports and other stakeholders can begin to prepare for them.
The research finds that shifting to alternative propulsion will require a capital investment of between $700 billion and $1.7 trillion across the value chain by 2050, it added.
Source: gdnonline
