In his first public engagement since his coronation, King Charles III has broken ground on the New Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, a £58 million ($73m) facility aiming to become a leading global centre for net zero aviation and energy. Its mission is to halve the time to develop key technologies to support a sustainable aviation industry. The King met the Laboratory’s staff and researchers, as well as aviation industry and senior government representatives, who gathered for an international roundtable as part of an initiative led by Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Participating organisations included the UK government, UK Aerospace Technology Institute, the US FAA, NASA, EU Clean Aviation Joint Understanding, Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and the Sustainable Markets Initiative. The facility will incorporate the Bennett Innovation Laboratory and the UK’s National Centre for Propulsion and Power, built around a fast feedback model pioneered in motor racing’s Formula One.

“We need to completely transform the innovation landscape in the aviation and energy sectors if we are to reach net zero by 2050,” commented Professor Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory, which was opened in 1973 by Sir Frank Whittle, a pioneer in the development of modern power and propulsion systems for aircraft. “The New Whittle Laboratory has been designed as a disruptive innovation lab targeting the critical early stages in the lifecycles of technologies, where there are windows of opportunity to translate scientific strengths into global technological and industrial leadership.”

The roundtable shared insights based on global aviation systems modelling capabilities developed through the Aviation Impact Accelerator, a project led by the Whittle Laboratory and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Today, reported Miller, it typically takes six to eight years to develop a new technology to a point where it can be considered for commercial deployment in the aerospace and energy sectors, but he said recent trials in the Laboratory had shown this timeframe can be accelerated by breaking down barriers that exist between academia and industry.

“The Lab is designed to work at the intersection of cutting-edge science and emerging  engineering applications, providing fast feedback between the two, and dramatically cutting the time to deliver zero-emission technologies,” added Miller.

The Bennett Innovation Laboratory is made possible through a gift from the Peter Bennett Foundation, himself a Cambridge alumnus and philanthropist. “To tackle the most complex challenges, we need to take a whole systems approach, where innovative technologies can be explored within the context of the realities that may impact their roll out. Rigorous testing using models such as the Aviation Impact Accelerator expedites the process of innovation and implementation.

“We need new ways to work together at speed, which is why the Bennett Innovation Lab will bring together global experts from government, industry and academia, enabling radical collaboration. I believe by using Cambridge’s convening power, this can make a real difference fast.”

Attending the event was the UK’s Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, who said: “The UK is leading a revolution in aviation, looking to new technologies to cut emissions. Having established the Jet Zero Council three years ago by bringing together government, industry and academia, I strongly welcome the Whittle Laboratory being at the forefront of that endeavour today. This will further help the best minds from the fields of energy and aviation push ever-further and faster with the latest innovations in order to solve the problem of environmentally friendly and affordable flying.”

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has had a strategic research partnership with the Laboratory since the 1980s. “We look forward to continuing our relationship over the coming decades and we want our engineers to think of the new Lab as their European home – a unique environment where they can participate in a culture that brings together the best global ideas, expertise, software, tools and testing facilities that can help solve the challenge of climate change.”

The Laboratory also has a long association with aero engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce that has delivered hundreds of technologies into its products, said Rolls-Royce Chief Technology Officer, Grazia Vittadini. “Partnerships like this are critical if the UK is to maintain its role as a science superpower and to create high value jobs in the UK,” she said. “The New Whittle Laboratory offers an exciting opportunity to raise this ambition by bringing together cutting-edge science and engineering application in one building with the aim of meeting the challenge of net zero flight by 2050.”

Also represented at the event was US aeroplane manufacturer Boeing. “Our partnership with the University of Cambridge is central to the effort of making aviation carbon neutral,” said Jim Hileman, VP and Chief Engineer, Sustainability and Future Mobility. “As well as helping us to find technology solutions, it is bringing together different companies and academic disciplines from across the sector to drive change at the system level. We are excited by the way in which the New Whittle Laboratory has been designed to break down silos, bringing together a wide range of disciplines to take on the most challenging net zero aviation problems.”

When Prince of Wales, King Charles visited the Laboratory in 2020 and 2022 to encourage the acceleration of sustainable aviation. He hosted an industry roundtable in 2020 in London with the Sustainable Markets Initiative and the World Economic Forum to explore solutions for decarbonising air travel.

Photo (© University of Cambridge, Lloyd Mann): King Charles at the ground-breaking ceremony for the New Whittle Laboratory

Christopher Surgenor

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Delta Air Lines is to launch its own innovation lab to help accelerate the research, design and testing of ideas and technologies aimed at leading to a more sustainable future of air travel and help reach the airline’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The Delta Sustainable Skies Lab will feature work already ongoing at the airline and pair the operational expertise of its teams from different divisions with outside innovators “to inspire new ideas and spur industry advancement,” said Pam Fletcher, Delta’s Chief Sustainability Officer, who is leading the strategy. It will include an ‘Engagement & Ideation Studio’ at Delta’s Atlanta headquarters, which will host students, employees, sustainability thought leaders and the “world’s greatest inventors”. The airline said it will continue to test concepts for reducing its environmental impact, including novel technology to decrease aircraft drag and emissions. It is collaborating with MIT to test methods and develop tools to eliminate persistent contrails.

“The Lab will lead the industry by going beyond financial investments, contributing Delta talent and know-how to ensure Delta is the airline of choice for disruptors hoping to test and launch their ideas,” explained Fletcher. “It’s a place to showcase advancements and a movement to galvanise everyone with a stake in creating the more sustainable future of flight.”

The Lab will bring together senior leaders in Delta’s Flight Operations, Technical Operations, Inflight Services, Operations & Customer Center and Fleet, with Delta’s Carbon Council serving as the model. “Much like Delta views safety, sharing best practices and being transparent about its sustainability approach is central to The Lab’s mission,” said the airline, which pointed out that more than 10 million gallons in fuel savings had resulted in 2022 alone.

However, said Fletcher: “With aviation being a hard-to-decarbonise industry, none of us can do this alone. We’re rolling out the welcome mat for disruptors of choice to take advantage of Delta’s global resources.”

The Lab will attract the next generation of ‘doers’ who evolve how airlines think about decarbonisation, expects the airline, and join other previously announced sustainability partners such as Airbus and eVTOL start-up Joby Aviation. Last October, Delta announced an upfront equity investment of $60 million in Joby, with a potential total of $200 million if milestones are achieved, which envisages using Joby’s eVTOL aircraft to operate city-to-airport services, initially in New York and Los Angeles.

The collaboration with MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics will harness an MIT-created algorithm that predicts altitudes and locations where contrails are likely to form and study the causes of persistent contrails, assess the environmental impact and test possible solutions. The tools and technology planned as part of the study are being created under an open-source licence that will allow others to join in advancing the work.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding with Aero Design Labs, the airline will be testing drag-reduction technology on its 737-800 and 737-900 fleets starting this quarter. Delta will have the option to purchase ADL’s ADRS kits upon FAA certification to outfit most of its more than 200 aircraft in the two fleets.

The Engagement Studio will open and operate in phases and will feature interactive digital walls, virtual reality stations and experiential mock-ups, and welcome stakeholders to meet, collaborate and share ideas “to build momentum across the industry and beyond.”

Added Fletcher: “This work is imperative for our planet and our business. We’ve seen how critical human connection is to thrive – and how travel is the great enabler. As we make progress towards our sustainability goals, we want to make sure our customers will feel as good about flying as they do about the connections made with the people and places we take them to.”

Image: The Delta Sustainable Skies Lab vision concept

Christopher Surgenor

Editor

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In March 2020, Delta Air Lines announced it was committing $1 billion over 10 years towards a goal of becoming the first major carbon-neutral airline. A year on, the US airline has expanded its vision of ‘zero-impact aviation’ in which air travel does not damage the environment directly or indirectly via GHG emissions, noise, waste generation or other environmental impacts. Delta has offset its growth in carbon emissions since 2012 and says it is budgeting to spend more than $30 million on a portfolio of verified offsets to mitigate 13 million tonnes of its emissions between March and December 2020. It is also addressing emission reductions through fleet and operational efficiencies and last year retired more than 200 older aircraft. Longer term, Delta indicates it will invest in the acceleration of new technologies including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), carbon capture and storage, and innovations in aircraft propulsion. It has also just signed an agreement with Deloitte to support the firm’s commitment to more sustainable business travel through the purchase of SAF. The world’s largest cargo airline, FedEx, is now planning to achieve carbon-neutral operations globally by 2040 and said it would help fund research into natural carbon sequestration solutions.

“Connecting the world and protecting our environment for future generations cannot be mutually exclusive,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Travellers should not have to choose between seeing the world and saving the world. We must continue to take immediate actions today and can’t wait for future solutions to become a reality. While there are many paths to carbon neutrality, Delta chose to make an impact today and invest in a future where aviation itself becomes cleaner for the world around us.”

Delta says its environmental sustainability plan is focused on three areas: carbon reduction and removal, stakeholder engagement and coalition building.

It reports the new aircraft entering the fleet contributed to fuel efficiency per available seat mile increasing by nearly 6% in 2020 over the previous year, amid the impact of Covid-19 and reduced passenger loads, saving 117 million gallons of fuel. The airline sees long-term potential for further emission reductions in future aircraft technology innovations such as propulsion, post-combustion emission controls, electric power delivery and fuel cells. These are still in the early stages of developments, says Delta, and are not expected to enter service “anytime soon” but reported it was evaluating partnerships to accelerate and support their advancement.

To achieve further carbon reduction advances in steps towards Delta’s ‘zero-impact’ goal for aviation, the airline says SAF shows great promise and has a medium-term target to replace 10% of its fossil jet fuel replace with a sustainable alternative by 2030.

It has agreements in place with Gevo to purchase 10 million gallons of SAF beginning in 2024 and 60 million gallons from Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels starting in 2025. Combined, this represents a projected 1.7% of Delta’s total annual fuel consumption, adjusted for 2019 flying levels.

Just now though, says Delta, SAF is not available on a large enough scale and the market is so underdeveloped that all the SAF produced in 2020 would only power Delta’s fleet for one day pre-Covid.

In the near-term, Delta will rely on verified carbon offsets to achieve carbon neutrality. “As Delta invests in future technologies, carbon offsets are a viable, proven and immediate way to make an impact today,” said Sue Kolloru, VP Strategic Corporate Initiatives. “Our offset projects are making a measurable and meaningful difference by protecting forests, conserving wildlife and helping communities develop around the world.”

The 13 million tonnes of CO2 emissions Delta expects to offset from 2020 is equal to the carbon sequestered by 17 million acres (6.9 million ha) of US forests in one year, claims the airline. Two projects in Delta’s offset portfolio are Rimba Raya and Keo Seima, which protect forests through a community-driven conservation model involving local communities in Indonesia and Cambodia. The goal is for the portfolio to cover a range of projects covering carbon avoidance (deforestation), carbon reduction (wind and solar) and carbon removal (nature-based solutions such as afforestation and reforestation).

In the future, foresees Jerry Griffin, General Manager, Sustainability Strategy, carbon offset markets might include new carbon sequestration technologies like direct air capture where machines draw CO2 out of the air and store it in deep geological formations or use it to create products. “As part of our path to carbon removal, we will invest in these types of breakthrough projects to accelerate development, which is currently limited and very expensive,” he said.  

The second focus of Delta’s environmental sustainability plan involves engagement with investors, customers and employees. Delta points to its recent agreements with corporate customers Nike and Deloitte to purchase SAF facilitated by the airline in support of the two company’s commitment to sustainable business travel. The SAF will be supplied to Delta by Finnish renewable jet fuel producer Neste. The agreement with Deloitte represents a lifecycle CO2 emissions reduction of around 1,000 tonnes.

“Collaborations like this further support SAF development and represent the growing demand for innovations in clean fuel technologies,” commented Delta.

Deloitte has also just signed a similar SAF agreement with American Airlines, again to be supplied by Neste (see article).

The final thread of the Delta plan is to build coalitions with suppliers and other industry participants to drive down costs and increase the take-up of new technologies such as alternative fuels and carbon capture technology.

“This is not a competition,” said Bastian. “Uniting across industries to create a more sustainable future is imperative. The more that join us on this mission, the better.”

The airline expects to announce “multiple” partnerships within the next few months. It has already become a member of MIT’s Industry Liaison Program in order to understand and quantify aviation’s environmental impacts and inform a long-term plan to support industry innovation.

“Delta’s thoughtful approach to understanding the research ecosystem will help support research and development for the industry,” said Steven Barrett, Head of MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment. “Developing coalitions to bring together leaders across industries is crucial in advancing a zero-impact future.”

FedEx, meanwhile, has pledged $2 billion in initial investment towards its new goal of carbon-neutral operations by 2040. The funding will major on three areas: vehicle electrification, sustainable energy and carbon sequestration. It includes a $100 million gift to Yale University to help establish the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, with an initial focus on helping to offset GHG emissions equivalent to current airline emissions.

The Center’s researchers will develop methods that build on natural carbon storage systems, including biological ecosystems and the geological carbon cycle, with the aim of creating a portfolio of carbon removal strategies that can have an impact on a global scale. Following its aviation work, the Center will broaden its scope to address additional global sources of emissions and pledges to share its findings so that businesses, industries and governments can benefit from work that will accelerate the adoption and implementation of natural carbon capture strategies around the world.

“Addressing climate change is a complex challenge that demands urgent action, and natural carbon capture strategies will be one key part of that action,” said Dr Indy Burke, Dean of the Yale School of the Environment. “Through the creation of the Center, we aim to develop measurable carbon capture strategies to help offset carbon emissions globally.”

FedEx said it would continue to invest in alternative fuels to reduce aircraft and vehicle emissions. In 2015, FedEx agreed to purchase 3 million gallons of SAF from Red Rock Biofuels’ new biorefinery in Lakeview, Oregon, that was originally planned to open in 2017 but is now scheduled for completion this year. FedEx’s fuel conservation programme Fuel Sense and its aircraft modernisation programme have saved a combined 1.43 billion gallons of jet fuel and avoided over 13.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions since 2012. “We have a responsibility to take bold action in addressing climate challenges,” said FedEx CEO Fred Smith, commenting on the new carbon-neutral pledge. “This goal builds on our longstanding commitment to sustainability throughout our operations, while at the same time investing in long-term transformational solutions for FedEx and our entire industry.”

Photo: Delta Air Lines