German government and industry agree on power-to-liquid aviation fuel roadmap
German聽federal聽and state聽governments and industrial leaders have聽聽on a roadmap aimed at establishing聽climate-friendly聽power-to-liquid (PtL)聽aviation fuel聽production.聽The聽聽is intended to create the basis for聽the annual production of聽at least 200,000 tonnes of sustainable kerosene for German air traffic by 2030.聽This corresponds to a third of the current fuel requirement for domestic German air traffic. Electricity-based, sustainably produced fuels are聽a key element in making聽CO2-neutral flying聽a reality. The plan aims to produce PtL fuels聽from聽green聽hydrogen and sustainable carbon dioxide.聽The carbon聽can be obtained聽from unavoidable CO2 sources,聽such as bioenergy plants and industry, therefore drastically reducing the overall amount of air traffic CO2 emissions, according to the plan.
While the聽manufacturing processes are technically proven, PtL聽fuels have not聽yet聽been聽produced聽in relevant quantities or at market prices聽due to the lack of industrial-scale production facilities, according to the environment ministry.聽The roadmap illustrates how a market ramp-up for sustainable PtL fuel can succeed.聽Peter Gerber,聽president of the聽聽(BDL)聽and聽CEO of Brussels Airlines, said industry and government would 鈥渨ork together聽on the basis of the PtL roadmap聽to ensure that these sustainable fuels are available in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices鈥�.聽Gerber聽added that the aviation industry could participate in the construction of industrial plants for the production of sustainable aviation fuels聽through the聽purchase guarantees.
The German government has increasingly sought to make聽emissions-free aviation聽a part of the country鈥檚 energy transition, although industry experts have also warned that sustainable fuels alone are no enough to make air traffic climate neutral.
