Plans to speed up the design, manufacture, and rollout of zero emission aircraft and infrastructure at UK airports.
Ministers and aviation chiefs have revealed an action plan for the next 2 years in the race to reach Jet Zero by 2050, as the government continues with ambitious plans to decarbonise faster than any other G7 country, grow the economy, and support hundreds of thousands of well-paid green jobs.
The Jet Zero Council – made up of industry, academic and government leaders – met today (17 April 2023) at Farnborough Airport. Through its 2-year plan, the council committed to continue working to speed up the design, manufacture, and rollout of zero emission aircraft and vital infrastructure at UK airports.
The plan sets out how the council will help to accelerate the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), by continuing to invest millions of pounds in first-of-a-kind SAF plants, supporting crucial scientific research on a larger scale, and helping to drive down production costs.
Farnborough Airport also played host to the Sustainable Skies World Summit today, which gathers experts and leaders from the worlds of aviation, government, energy, and engineering. At the summit, The Royal Air Force has successfully completed a Voyager air-to-air refuelling flight, powered by an approximately 43% blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight marks the launch of a new aviation Net Zero Carbon roadmap for commercial aviation. Flying from RAF Brize Norton, over the North Sea and via Farnborough on its return home, the Voyager aircraft also undertook air-to-air refuelling with Typhoons, as part of planned training.
The government has also welcomed the report Developing a UK SAF industry by Philip New, former CEO of the Energy Systems Catapult and BPAlternative Energy. The independent evaluation – commissioned by the Department for Transport – assesses what conditions are necessary to create a successful UK SAF industry.
The UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels programme is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The Jet Zero Strategy sets out how we can achieve net zero emissions from UK aviation by 2050, importantly without directly limiting demand for aviation, and the £165 million Advanced Fuel Fund is also kickstarting production, with 5 projects already chosen to receive funding.
Turning to potential barriers to investment, the government recognises that many investors are looking for longer-term revenue certainty that the SAFmandate will not provide.
The government is therefore committing to work with the aviation industry on the best ways to decarbonise, including options for additional revenue certainty for a UK SAF industry.
Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “There is no time to waste in creating a sustainable, decarbonised aviation sector fit for the future. By working in partnership with industry, we are determined to accelerate the development of innovative zero emission technology and secure the long-term success of our vital UK manufacturing sector and its global exports.”
Developing new low or zero emission aircraft technology is an important part of the Jet Zero strategy. The government is co-investing, with industry, in innovative aerospace technology, through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme which has a £685 million R&D budget over the Spending Review period (2022/23 to 2024/25).
Through this Programme, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has committed to fund the ‘UK Hydrogen Capability Network - Phase 0 Project’.
Led by Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) this 12-month study will work closely with industry to define the operating model for a group of open access research and development facilities designed to accelerate the development of liquid hydrogen propulsion aircraft technologies, capabilities and skills in the UK. It will also explore options for the supply of green liquid hydrogen.
The study was inspired by the BEIS funded Fly Zero project, which published its conclusion in March 2022.
This study brought together experts from across the UK to explore the design, technical and commercial challenges in realising zero-carbon emission commercial aviation by 2030. It concluded that green liquid hydrogen offers the greatest potential to power a new generation of zero-carbon emission aircraft and recommended further work to explore collaborative R&D facilities.
