As part of the Airbus Summit, taking place today and tomorrow, the European manufacturer confirmed new agreements aimed at advancing the study and implementation of sustainability innovations for the aviation industry.
As part of the announcements at the event, which brings together business leaders and industry experts to discuss aviation challenges and opportunities, Airbus said it will collaborate with Neste to advance the production and market introduction of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Furthermore, it will work together with Renault to boost the decarbonisation of both companies.
Airbus and Neste: agreement to explore possibilities for sustainable fuel production and use
Airbus has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Neste, under which the two companies will explore possibilities for the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels. According to the manufacturer in a press release, the collaboration «aims to accelerate the aviation sector’s transition» towards the use of this material.
The two companies agreed that increasing the production of SAF is one of the biggest challenges in achieving larger-scale implementation. Airbus and Neste will work primarily on the technical development of sustainable fuels, their approval by regulators and testing of current and future production technologies.
«All Airbus aircraft are already certified for flying with up to 50% of SAF and this partnership will be instrumental to reaching certification for up to 100% before the end of the decade», said Julie Kitcher, EVP of Communications and Corporate Affairs at Airbus.
«This collaboration with Airbus connects a pioneer in the aerospace industry with a leader in renewable fuels», commented Thorsten Lange, EVP of Renewable Aviation at Neste. «The combined knowledge and expertise of the companies will help advance the use and availability of SAF as a means of transitioning aviation towards more sustainable energy sources and reducing the climate impact of aviation», he added.
Airbus and Renault: a partnership to boost research on electric propulsion technologies
The European aerospace manufacturer also finalised a joint working agreement with French carmaker Renault. The two companies will promote research into opportunities and synergies to advance electrification across their product ranges.
According to Airbus, the partnership will allow it to optimise the development of its future hybrid-powered aircraft. In this regard, the company explained that the engineering teams will work to improve the energy storage mechanism, which is currently one of the main obstacles to the development of long-range electric vehicles (both on the ground and in the air).
Specifically, the agreement will seek to optimise energy management and reduce battery weight. In addition, it will seek to find the best alternatives for transitioning to solid-state designs that could double the energy density of batteries by the end of this decade. It will also study the full life cycle of future batteries, from production to recycling, and assess their carbon footprint.
«For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft», said Gilles Le Borgne, EVP of Engineering at Renault. He explained that «aviation is an extremely demanding field in terms of both safety and energy consumption, and so is the car industry». Finally, he said that working together will facilitate the conversion of cross-cutting technologies that will enable the future development of hybrid aircraft and electric ground vehicles.
See also: Airbus partners with Hiratagakuen to work on the development of eVTOL operations in Japan
