Business aviation sustainability solutions provider Azzera has been selected to provide CORSIA-compliant carbon credits for Pratt & Whitney Canada’s (P&WC) Carbon Offset Service, which is available to operators of all aircraft powered by the manufacturer’s engines, including business jets, helicopters and regional and general aviation aircraft. Under the arrangement, Azzera says it will supply a portfolio of high-quality carbon credits rated through the company’s Impact Score, a quality assurance system based on official project registries such as Verra, Gold Standard and American Carbon Registry, and a proprietary rating system. Azzera has also added what it claims is an industry-first sustainable aviation fuel management module to its CELESTE software platform that enables aircraft operators to manage and track their SAF uplift and assess its contribution to emissions reduction. Both SAF uplift and book-and-claim are trackable through the functionality.

P&WC’s Carbon Offset Service is a flexible add-on to its Eagle Service Plan or Fleet Management Program engine maintenance agreements and aims to offer customers a straightforward way to offset the carbon footprint caused by the use of their aircraft.

Azzera says its Impact Score addresses concerns about the voluntary carbon markets regarding the validity and impact of carbon credits, “offering a tangible and auditable metric that mitigates the risk of greenwashing.”

Explained Puja Mahajan, the company’s CEO and co-founder: “The Azzera Impact Score ensures that the carbon credits provided are both high-quality and have verified and significant environmental impact. Working with customers such as Pratt & Whitney Canada, we are making it easier for aircraft operators to not only offset their emissions but also to understand and quantify the positive environmental impact of their contributions.”

Responded Irene Makris, VP Customer Service, Pratt & Whitney Canada: “We are committed to providing our customers a seamless way of offsetting aviation carbon emissions. Through our arrangement with Azzera, we provide our customers with a means to compensate for their aviation emissions and help them ensure the quality of their sustainability investment. We are focusing exclusively on CORSIA-eligible credits, adding an additional layer of due diligence to our Carbon Offset Service.”

Since its inception in May 2022, Azzera says it has facilitated the compensation of over 55,000 tonnes of carbon credits directly or indirectly through its advisory role, tracked 97,300 flights and measured more than 1.2 million tonnes of emissions, representing 6% of business aviation’s total carbon footprint.

The new SAF module aims to boost CELESTE’s emissions data collection and reporting capability, says the company. The digital platform integrates with flight scheduling software to access and process data for real-time emissions calculations. To simplify the calculations, emissions are segregated by carbon compliance market, including CORSIA and emissions trading systems such as the EU ETS, UK ETS and CH ETS. Beyond segregating emissions, the SAF module also allocates SAF uptake to specific missions, better preparing operators for the forthcoming ReFuelEU aviation mandates, which from 2025 requires all aviation fuel provided at EU airports to contain a minimum fraction of SAF.

“The European business aviation fleet makes up about 15% of the world’s total and the vast majority of Europe’s operators are counting emissions – the mandates are driving this – and increasingly operators worldwide are voluntarily monitoring emissions too,” said Mahajan.

With the SAF data stored in a single module, CELESTE users can optimise the system to increase visibility around their use of SAF as the module tracks where the SAF is purchased, how much is uplifted and which routes were flown. In addition, the system also facilitates SAF book-and-claim transactions for business aviation clients, aggregates SAF demand and provides SAF certificates directly to the operator on its platform interface.

Photo: Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW800 powers the Gulfstream G500 business jet

Christopher Surgenor

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A Gulfstream G600 business jet has become the first aircraft to undertake a transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel. The flight on November 19 departed Gulfstream Aerospace’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, landing at Farnborough Airport in the UK six hours and 56 minutes later. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW815GA twin engines were powered by 100% HEFA-based SAF produced by World Energy and delivered by World Fuel Services. Other partners in the flight collaboration included Honeywell, Safran and Eaton. The fuel was notable for a complete absence of aromatic content, normally considered essential for engine performance and safety. World Energy supplied HEFA SAF, which included synthetic aromatics supplied by Virent, for Gulfstream’s first 100% SAF flight of a Rolls-Royce powered G650 in December 2022. Virgin Atlantic is making the first transatlantic flight of a commercial airliner to use 100% SAF in the reverse direction on November 28.

The data collected from the Gulfstream transatlantic flight will help the OEM and its suppliers gauge aircraft compatibility with future low-aromatic renewable fuels, particularly under cold temperatures for extended flight durations, said the company.

“Gulfstream is innovating for a sustainable future,” said Mark Burns, President. “One of the keys to reaching business aviation’s long-term decarbonisation goals is the broad use of SAF in place of fossil-based jet fuel. The completion of this world-class flight helps to advance business aviation’s overarching sustainability mission and create positive environmental impacts for future generations.”

The lack of aromatics in the fuel mix allows for a reduced impact on local air quality, with lower particulate emissions and very low sulphur content, so reducing non-CO2 environmental impacts. To allow the fuel on the transatlantic flight to fly without an aromatics content, Gulfstream obtained an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA and the flight was preceded by ground engine tests.

“With this flight, Gulfstream was willing to push the envelope to show what’s possible. They mobilised resources and personnel to demonstrate the future of sustainable aviation fuel,” commented Adam Klauber, VP Sustainability and Digital Supply Chain at World Energy.

The company said the SAF produced for the G600 flight reduces flight lifecycle emissions by 83% compared to its fossil equivalent. The 17% residual emissions, plus the ground transport emissions, are to be covered by an additional supply of SAF to Los Angeles International Airport. SAF certificates (SAFc), showing ownership of the book & claim credits are supplied to Gulfstream along with the physical SAF environmental document, known as ‘proof of sustainability’. Emissions are therefore eliminated using physical SAF plus the SAFc to reach net zero and so the emission reductions are fully within the aviation sector.

World Energy also supplied 100% SAF for research flights conducted by Boeing and NASA in October to examine the benefits of 100% SAF in reducing contrails during flight.

“These partnerships are in keeping with World Energy’s commitment as a first mover in the industry to advancing knowledge about the performance of SAF, which is a critical tool in decarbonising the hard-to-abate aviation sector,” said a spokesperson for World Energy.

Photo: Gulfstream G600 takes on aromatics-free 100% SAF produced by World Energy

Christopher Surgenor

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The transition to hybrid-electric propulsion for short-haul aircraft has been has been energised by two milestone developments involving engine manufacturers Pratt & Whitney Canada and Rolls-Royce. The former, which produces engines for medium-to-large turboprop aircraft, has partnered with GKN Aerospace in the Netherlands to develop a high voltage, high power wiring system for a new hybrid-electric powertrain, which is targeting lower CO2 emissions and 30% more efficiency than today’s most advanced turboprop engines. Flight testing is expected to begin in 2024. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has just completed the first fuel burn of a gas-powered small turbine for use in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector and hybrid-electric commuter aircraft seating up to 19 passengers. The new turbogenerator system is designed to provide scalable power offerings for hybrid-electric aircraft, enabling pilots to extend flight range by switching between electric power and either sustainable aviation fuel or hydrogen combustion.

Pratt & Whitney Canada is progressing its expansion into hybrid-electric aero propulsion in partnership with Collins Aerospace, a sibling company within the aerotech conglomerate RTX, and UK-headquartered GKN Aerospace. 

Having integrated a lightweight 1-megawatt electric motor developed by Collins into a high-efficiency fuel-burning engine, Pratt & Whitney Canada is now partnering with GKN Aerospace to develop the high voltage, high power electrical wiring interconnector system (EWIS) for the RTX hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project.

The companies will collaborate on the development, construction and installation of the electrical wiring system on the demonstrator, which Pratt & Whitney Canada expects to achieve a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions than the most efficient turboprop engines currently in use, delivering better performance during take-off, climb and cruise.

Collins says its 1MW motor is half the weight of the most advanced electric motors now flying, but will deliver four times the power and double the voltage, with half the heat loss. The unit is being developed by the company at its Solihull, UK, facility and tested at the University of Nottingham’s Institute for Aerospace Technology.

Supported by the governments of Canada and Quebec, flight testing of the new powertrain will begin next year on Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Dash 8-100 experimental aircraft.  

The Netherlands division of GKN Aerospace will lead development and design of the EWIS for the hybrid-electric propulsion system, as well a producing and installing the hardware on the demonstrator aircraft.

“Hybrid-electric propulsion technology has the potential to improve efficiency for a wide range of future aircraft applications, supporting the industry-wide goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions for aviation by 2050,” said Jean Thomassin, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Executive Director for new products and services. “Our collaboration with GKN Aerospace brings extensive expertise to the project, which will help integrate high voltage electrical systems on our experimental aircraft, as we target flight testing to begin in 2024.”

John Pritchard, President of Civil Airframe at GKN Aerospace, welcomed the new partnership, which follows the company’s design and manufacture of EWIS systems for the all-electric Vertical Aerospace VX4 air taxi and the Eviation Alice passenger and freight planes.      

“This project extends our teamwork in hybrid-electric propulsion technology, which also encompasses the SWITCH project, which is backed by the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking of the European Union,” he said. 

The Rolls-Royce turbogenerator system, which is part-funded by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, will allow power to be scaled between 500kW and 1,200kW, enabling hybrid-powered aircraft to fly longer routes or carry greater payloads than all-electric battery powered models. As well as delivering energy to electrical propulsion units, it can recharge batteries in hybrid-electric powertrains.

“The development of the turbogenerator solution brings together Rolls-Royce’s capabilities in designing compact and lightweight high-speed rotating electric machines and highly efficient gas turbines, combined with the expertise to integrate them on a system and platform level,” said Matheu Parr, the engine maker’s Customer Director, Electrical.

In addition to providing more operating flexibility, Parr explained the engine had been designed using novel combustion technology to minimise emissions, not just in the evolving AAM market, which includes electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL), but also potentially for helicopters and auxiliary power units on larger aircraft.

“This significant achievement confirms the effectiveness of the compact, power-dense turbine that will be integrated into a lightweight turbogenerator system,” he said.

“The turbogenerator system will enable our customers to extend the routes that electric flight can support and means more passengers will be able to travel further on low and potentially net zero emissions aircraft. It is well suited to recharge batteries as well as provide energy to electrical propulsion units directly and therefore enables aircraft to switch between power sources in flight.”

He added that since the product had been defined, it had taken just two years to develop then test the new gas turbine. 

“This significant achievement follows the fast-paced development time of the new gas turbine from concept freeze to ‘pass to test’ in under two years,” he said. “Test facilities and equipment, comprising 14 sub-systems in total, were designed, procured, and built – or adapted – by a global team in a record time of just under a year.

“With this achievement, we have proven we can apply our expertise to novel designs and are able to test them on a very quick timescale. This capability will help Rolls-Royce to deliver the products that will help us on our path to net-zero within the ambitious industry timelines of the Advanced Air Mobility market.” 

Image: The RTX hybrid-electric flight demonstrator

Tony Harrington

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The unprecedented heatwave sweeping the UK during the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow was a timely, if unwelcome, prod to the aviation sector that it must continue raising its game in the collective fight to mitigate the growing impact of global warming. Established and emerging aerospace players, from Airbus to ZeroAvia, used the biggest air show since the start of the pandemic to promote and progress deals, partnerships and initiatives designed to help deliver net zero emissions by 2050. In addition to more than 300 orders for new-technology aircraft, Farnborough showcased a range of developments on new propulsion systems and fuels, the growing trend to convert fossil-fuelled aircraft to zero emission power and continued strong growth in the urban air mobility sector, reports Tony Harrington. As countries met in Montreal to discuss a long-term target to reduce emissions from international aviation, the UK government released at the air show its eagerly-awaited Jet Zero Strategy to decarbonise the British aviation sector.

Having recently unveiled plans to use an A380 superjumbo as a testbed for its ZEROe hydrogen propulsion programme, Airbus announced it would convert a second A380, this time to be used in a collaboration with engine manufacturer CFM International to test new open-architecture powerplants. This engine technology, known as RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines), features large external fans which are expected to drive significant operating efficiencies and cut emissions by 20%.

Airbus UpNext, a subsidiary of the airframer, also announced a partnership with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to study contrails created by hydrogen-powered engines. Through a new project called Blue Condor, two modified Arcus gliders will be deployed, one powered by a conventional kerosene combustion engine, the other hydrogen combustion. A chase aircraft will follow each of these craft to assess and compare their contrails at high altitude, in what will be the first in-flight tests by Airbus using a hydrogen engine.

To further support its hydrogen ambitions, Airbus has invested an undisclosed amount in Hy24, described as the world’s largest clean hydrogen infrastructure investment fund, focused on supporting large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure projects. “Since 2020, Airbus has partnered with numerous airlines, airports, energy providers and industry partners to develop a stepped approach to global hydrogen availability,” said Karine Guenan, VP ZEROe Ecosystem, Airbus. “Joining a fund of this magnitude demonstrates Airbus’ continuously active role in infrastructure investments for the production, storage and distribution of clean hydrogen worldwide.” 

Rolls-Royce and European low-cost airline easyJet also announced a hydrogen propulsion programme, the H2Zero Partnership, to jointly pioneer the development of hydrogen combustion engine technology suitable for a range of aircraft, including narrowbody airliners, from the mid-2030s. This collaboration, which combines Rolls-Royce’s engine expertise and easyJet’s operational experience, will start later this year with engine tests on the ground and ambitions by both companies to also progress to flight tests.

“In order to achieve net zero by 2050, we have always said that radical action is needed to address aviation’s climate impact,” said Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet. “The technology that emerges from this programme has the potential to power easyJet-size aircraft, which is why we will also be making a multi-million-pound investment into this programme. In order to achieve decarbonisation at scale, progress on the development of zero-emission technology for narrowbody aircraft is crucial. Together with Rolls-Royce, we look forward to leading the industry to tackle this challenge head-on.”

Boeing, which announced more than 200 aircraft orders at the show, has become a founding member of the University of Sheffield Energy Innovation Centre to explore various methods of producing sustainable aviation fuel, and bringing it to market. During the air show, the aircraft OEM revealed it was advancing its partnership with the University of Cambridge on the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA), an international group of practitioners and academics convened by the university. AIA develops interactive evidence-based models, simulations and visualisation tools for decision-makers and the wider engaged public to understand the pathways to net zero flight. The outcomes and key learnings will eventually be integrated into Boeing’s Cascade data modelling tool, which provides real-time visualisation of carbon emission reductions in aviation, and also announced during the show. The model assesses the full lifecycle impacts of renewable energy by accounting for the emissions required to produce, distribute and use alternative energy carriers such as hydrogen, electricity and SAF. Boeing said it plans to utilise the tool with airline operators, industry partners and policymakers to inform when, where and how different fuel sources intersect with new airplane designs.

The company also expanded a long-standing collaboration with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy industries to study electric and hydrogen propulsion, development of green hydrogen, new feedstocks and technologies for development of SAF, carbon capture and conversion, sustainable materials and new aircraft design concepts. As well, Boeing announced a $50 million investment in AEI HorizonX, a partnership it established with private equity group AE Industrial Partners to support transformative aerospace technologies.

“In order for the aviation industry to meet its net zero carbon emissions commitment by 2050 it will take all of us collaborating and investing in scientific research and testing,” said Boeing’s VP of Global Sustainability Policy, Brian Moran.

Boeing also announced a new partnership with Alder Fuels to expand production of SAF around the world. Using Boeing aircraft, the companies will test and qualify Alder-derived SAF, advance policies to expedite aviation’s energy transition.

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic, Corendon Dutch Airlines and Albawings have selected Boeing’s Jeppesen FliteDeck Advisor to optimise operational efficiency and reduce fuel consumption across their fleets of Boeing aircraft. During a three-month trial on its 787 Dreamliners, Virgin Atlantic found the digital solution delivered cruise fuel savings of 1.7%, saving around 1,900kg of CO2 per flight.

Hydrogen propulsion pioneer ZeroAvia secured an additional $30 million from new investors including Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, NEOM, a sustainable regional development in Saudi Arabia, and the impact technology fund AENU, as well as additional capital from International Airlines Group, an existing investor and parent of airlines including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL. “Our new investors are each looking at our journey through a different lens,” said Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, “but all energised by our mission to enable zero-emission flight using hydrogen-electric engines.”

ZeroAvia, Universal Hydrogen and Ampaire announced during the air show a total of 55 firm orders for kits to convert commuter or turboprop aircraft from fossil fuels to zero-emission electric or hydrogen propulsion, while Swiss aero-battery manufacturer H55 launched a partnership with Canadian training group CAE and Piper Aircraft to convert to battery-electric power two-thirds of CAE’s fleet of Piper Archer training aircraft. Ampaire also flagged in excess of 200 orders on the horizon for its Eco Caravan and Eco Otter aircraft, re-engined variants of the Cessna Caravan and De Havilland Twin Otter regional aircraft.

GKN Aerospace revealed during the show that advances in fuel cell technology could enable hydrogen-electric propulsion to be scaled up more quickly than previously thought. The company had assumed that hydrogen propulsion was easiest to introduce for aircraft seating around 19 passengers, but now believes the use of cryogenic cooling technology can expedite deployment of the technology to power aircraft seating 96 or even more passengers, and reducing both CO2 and non-CO2 emissions.

Norway’s Widerøe Zero, the sustainability arm of regional airline Widerøe, signed a MoU with Embraer to help develop the airframer’s new Energia family of zero emission aircraft, with four variants ranging from 19 to 50 seats, while Collins Aerospace has completed the preliminary design of a 1-megawatt motor and controller to power a hybrid-electric demonstrator aircraft for the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Collins and Pratt & Whitney also launched a new electric propulsion concept, the Scaleable Turboelectric Powertrain Technology demonstrator (STEP-tech), to power novel aircraft including high-speed electric vertical take-off or landing craft (eVTOL), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and small-to-medium commercial aircraft, while new deals, developments and partnerships were announced in the eVTOL segment by companies including Germany’s Lilium, Embraer’s Eve, UK-based Vertical Aerospace, French start-up Ascendance Flight Technologies and a tie up between Rolls Royce and Hyundai Motor Group’s air taxi division, Supernal.

GE Aviation announced a milestone for its own electric engine programme, conducting the world’s first test of a hybrid-electric propulsion system in simulated high-altitude conditions. Using NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) in Sandusky, Ohio, GE assessed a pair of hybrid electric systems, one to simulate an aircraft’s left engine, the other its right engine, in conditions expected when flying at 45,000 feet. The test simulated the electrical loads needed to optimise engine performance, while propelling and powering an aircraft at that altitude.   

Mohamed Ali, VP and GM of Engineering for GE Aerospace, said: “We’re making aviation history by developing the technology to help make hybrid electric flight possible for everyday commercial air travel. We just passed a key milestone by successfully concluding the world’s first test of a high power, high voltage electric system at altitude conditions. This is one of many milestones in our journey with NASA towards demonstrating a hybrid electric aircraft engine system for a more sustainable future of flight.”

A small Spanish airline, AlbaStar, was identified at Farnborough as the European launch customer for the US-made WheelTug electric taxiing system, which enables aircraft to be manoeuvred around airports without using external tractors or their own engines. Using a small electric motor installed within the nosewheel, pilots can control all ground movements by their aircraft, including reversing from airport aerobridges. AlbaStar, which operates six Boeing 737 jets, estimates that in a year the WheelTug system could eliminate 1 million kilograms of CO2 and nitrogen oxide emissions from the airline’s operations. The WheelTug system is due to be introduced into service in mid-2023.

Image (Embraer): Norwegian airline Widerøe has signed a MoU with Embraer to help develop the airframer’s new Energia family of zero emission aircraft

Aircraft manufacturer ATR, Swedish domestic carrier Braathens Regional Airlines and sustainable aviation fuel supplier Neste have teamed to carry out the first-ever 100% SAF-powered test flight using a commercial regional aircraft. Described as a “historic day for aviation” by ATR CEO Stefano Bortoli, the 1 hour 20 minutes flight from Malmo to Bromma Airport near Stockholm is part of a 100% SAF certification process involving the partners that started in September 2021 and is expected to be completed by 2025. Airport operator Swedavia enabled the SAF to be uplifted to the aircraft at Malmo Airport, with engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada involved in preparations for the flight. Neste said that when used in a neat 100% concentration, its SAF reduces GHG emissions over its life cycle by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuel use, with additional non-CO2 benefits through significantly reduced particulate emissions. Braathens Chairman Per Braathen said the Swedish government required the airline to transition to 100% SAF by 2030 and passengers would need to contribute to the extra cost. He added there was a problem with the more expensive SAF having to compete with biodiesel production and needed government support and financial muscle.

Commenting on the test flight, ATR’s Bortoli said: “After more than a century of commercial flights powered by kerosene, we are at the dawn of a new era. In recent months, we carried out a series of successful flights with sustainable fuel in one engine. We decided it was time to perform the first test flight with 100% SAF in both engines. This helps us to certify our aircraft to fly solely on sustainable fuels faster and to enable more sustainable connections as a result.

“The flight represents a true milestone for the entire aviation industry as it shows that this technology works and can be promptly adopted by many in our industry to speed up the transition to low-emission aviation.”

Jonathan Wood, VP Europe, Renewable Aviation, commented: “Test flights like this show it is possible to safely fly on 100% SAF and help accelerate the adoption of SAF in aviation.”

ATR said the results of the experimental test flight would be analysed and then released at a later date. After the flight, ATR’s chief pilot, Cyril Cizabuiroz, said the aircraft was flown at its normal altitude and cruise speed, used the same level of fuel that was expected and performed normally with no engine parameter abnormalities. “For the flight crew, this was a very positive test flight,” he reported. “It’s the beginning of a long journey to certification for 100% SAF use in 2025.”

The 2025 date is five years ahead of larger aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, which are targeting 2030. “We are a small company with a product that has a long and successful history and we have now demonstrated we can fly our aircraft on 100% SAF,” explained Bortoli. “We have been working actively on this project for a couple of years and the whole industry is now looking at this more seriously than ever before. The difficulty is not from a technological standpoint, it’s having a common ground for setting the reference for the fuel and that will be the most difficult part of the process. We also have just the one engine – Pratt & Whitney – rather than many to deal with.”

Per Braathen said he was less concerned about the certification process than the supply-side availability of SAF. “That’s where governments and European authorities have to really contribute,” he said. “We are competing with refinery capacity for diesel and producing SAF is much more expensive than diesel. However, refineries are being closed down because of the transition, for example, to electric cars. They can be converted quite easily and can use technology that already exists.”

Bartoli said there was a high barrier of entry for SAF producers and private capital needed certainty about future opportunities, so having incentives for airlines to use SAF would create demand and pull incremental investment into SAF production. “If we can generate that circle, which is advantageous to all players, then definitely we will have the answer.”

Braathen said his airline had gone through tough times. “It’s a very different airline compared to two years ago,” he said. “When you start over again you have to have a goal and this time it was [using] SAF, which I really believe can make a difference.”

Added Bartoli: “There is no business if it’s not a sustainable business and when we make decisions, we try to change the paradigm. It’s not simply a dollar-driven decision-making process, it’s a decision for our long-term future and when we talk about sustainable aviation and the use of sustainable aviation fuels, I think this is a perfect match. Newcomers to ATR aren’t necessarily looking for a higher salary but they want to know the purpose of the company and its commitment to the environment. We must demonstrate that.”

Photo (ATR): Fuelling of the Braathens Regional Airline’s ATR 72-600 with 100% SAF