UK aerospace industry tackles climate change

Developing innovative replacements for kerosene requires close work between the aerospace industry and academic research

SBAC has identified the issues surrounding finding a more sustainable replacement fuel for kerosene, including technical concerns such as the energy content and economic issues including storage times.

Ian Godden, SBAC chief executive, said that developing innovative replacements for kerosene required close work between the aerospace industry and academic research.

Mr Godden continued: "The aviation industry is committed to reducing its impact on the environment.

"There is […] a long way to go but the search for alternative fuels is another avenue that the aviation industry is exploring as it seeks to combat the challenges of climate change.

He also drew attention to the recent test flights by Virgin Atlantic and Airbus, which trialled alternative fuels, and explained that the UK aerospace sector was also investing in cleaner engine technology to further reduce carbon emissions.

SBAC has also found there are possible alternatives to aviation fuel, such as synthetic kerosene, biodiesel and vegetable oil, but notes there are still obstacles to overcome before these can be used.

The government-funded OMEGA project is also researching the technical suitability, amount of emissions and other externalities, such as noise levels, of sustainable fuels.