Swiss maker of clean aviation fuel gets boost from Lufthansa
Efforts are underway in Switzerland to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel. The aviation industry is a top greenhouse gas emitter.
Keystone
The Lufthansa Group has entered a partnership with the Swiss solar fuel developer Synhelion. The Swiss start-up is working to produce a fuel that emits 50% less CO2 by 2022 and plans to market a 100% renewable fuel in 2030.
“We really have something here that demonstrates in a solid way that there is an interest in what we are doing,” Synhelion CEO Gianluca Ambrosetti told Swiss public television RTS.External link
Lufthansa group is one of the world’s largest airline groups.
Synhelion is developing a technology that uses solar tower systems with high-temperature thermochemical processes for the production of solar fuels. The solar fuel technology is compatible with the current global fuel infrastructure and could be produced on an industrial scale by 2030.
In parallel, to accelerate its arrival on the market, Synhelion is developing a jet fuel based on solar reforming of methane, with 50% lower carbon emission compared to kerosene.
“The first commercial installation in 2024 will be a 25,000 square meter solar park, which will be able to produce 5,000 tons of fuel per year,” reveals Philipp Good, head of research at Synhelion.
Lufthansa units Swiss International Air Lines and Edelweiss Air will work with the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, Sinhelion and another Swiss spin-off, Climeworks, to accelerate development of sustainable aviation fuel, MSNExternal link reports.
The Civil Aviation Organization wants to achieve a 2% annual fuel efficiency improvement through 2050 and achieve carbon neutral growth starting from 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic has battered the airline industry with flights grounded for months across the world. The Swiss aviation sector including SWISS and Edelweiss have turned to the government for financial support.
Popular Stories
More
Climate change
The international consequences of a glacier-free Switzerland
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
This content was published on
Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
This content was published on
Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
This content was published on
The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
This content was published on
Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
This content was published on
Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Carbon-neutral solar fuel prototype developed in Zurich
This content was published on
A Swiss research team has unveiled carbon-neutral technology than can produce car and plane-ready fuel from nothing but air and water.
This content was published on
Executives say that by 2050 advanced technologies, including biofuels, should go 50 per cent of the way towards halving emissions from planes from 2005 levels – their declared aim. “Aviation biofuels hold great promise,” Paul Steele, head of the Air Transport Action Group, a joint lobby for airlines, airports and aircraft makers, told swissinfo.ch on…
Swiss airlines to get almost CHF2 billion corona aid boost
This content was published on
The Swiss aviation sector, including the airlines SWISS and Edelweiss, is set to receive financial aid to help it overcome their current liquidity crisis.
This content was published on
After grounding most of its fleet because of Covid-19, Swiss International Air Lines will partially restart its flight operations in June.
EasyJet Switzerland seeks state aid as virus empties skies
This content was published on
After grounding its fleet of planes on Monday, EasyJet Switzerland has confirmed that it is hoping to receive Swiss state aid.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.