Promoting “powerfuels” key to climate-friendly aviation – industry alliance

Civil airlines should be required to use at least two percent renewable power-based or other sustainable fuels on all flights starting from 2025, says Global Alliance Powerfuels, an alliance of companies and associations started by the German Energy Agency (dena). The group suggests that a coalition of member states within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) could implement such a blending quota, which could then gradually rise. So-called powerfuels, produced from renewable electricity, "are a missing link for reaching climate targets," writes the alliance, adding that other sustainable, crop-based fuels rely on land and significantly higher amounts of water in their production process.
"Powerfuels are the key to climate action in aviation," said Andreas Kuhlmann, head of dena and spokesperson for Global Alliance Powerfuels. The German government should use the increase in aviation taxes planned in their new climate action package to promote the production of powerfuels, he added. Although powerfuels are currently more expensive than biofuels, the alliance estimates that airline ticket prices would rise roughly in proportion to the blend used (a 10% blend would increase the ticket price by 10%).

In a similar vein, the German Aviation Association has recommended that revenue from the country's air traffic tax should be earmarked to support the expansion of renewable fuels. The German government recently initiated a strategy for climate-friendly aviation as rising air traffic emissions have become a focus of public attention both domestically and across Europe.