Towards Climate-Neutral Aviation Contributions from Horizon 2020 Projects Implemented by INEA Innovation and Networks Executive1 Agency FOREWORDFOREWORD I am delighted to introduce this publication Energy Societal Challenges, i.e. “Smart, green presenting the European Union Innovation and and integrated transport” and “Secure, clean Networks Executive Agency’s (INEA) contribution to and efficient energy”. The effective contribution supporting research and technology development made by the Agency towards supporting clean towards climate-neutral aviation. aviation in Europe is illustrated by highlights from completed and ongoing projects. Aviation is one of Europe’s main industries of excellence and an important contributor to This publication was finalised during the the European Union’s economic prosperity: it COVID-19 outbreak, which is having an maintains close to 5 million jobs and represents unexpectedly significant impact on the aviation over 2% of European GDP. The continuous growth sector and has introduced crucial challenges for in demand for air transport worldwide will not the short-term future. The aviation industry in only further increase the sector’s economic and Europe is facing serious consequences, with a social impact, but it also calls for measures to considerable reduction of passenger traffic and mitigate its environmental footprint in terms of revenue losses for airlines expected in 2020. The greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions European Commission is taking concrete actions and noise pollution. and putting forward targeted initiatives to help ease the impact of the outbreak on the sector. INEA has been addressing this challenge through a growing number of collaborative aviation I hope you will enjoy your reading and appreciate research and innovation projects supported by the the relevance of our work for a more sustainable Horizon 2020 programme. The projects featured European aviation sector. in this publication are making an important contribution towards achieving the ambitious European Green Deal’s objectives1, namely a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and a climate-neutral continent by 2050. They are developing technologies that will make aviation more environmentally friendly and safer, while improving citizens’ quality of life. The aviation projects implemented by the Agency are delivering results that are not only further improving existing solutions but are also – and more importantly – developing the disruptive, game-changing technologies needed to further accelerate the path towards climate neutrality. This publication presents key results and the Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible impact of aviation research and innovation for the use that might be made of the following information. Dirk Beckers projects selected through competitive calls Director, INEA for proposals under the H2020 Transport and EN PDF: EF-02-20-664-EN-N - ISBN 978-92-9208-100-3 - DOI: 10.2840/047167 © European Union, 2020 Reuse is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. The reuse policy of European Commission documents is regulated by Decision 2011/833/EU (OJ L 330, 14.12.2011, p. 39). For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the EU copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. 1 The European Green Deal (https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/communication-european-green-deal_en) Cover photos © ENABLE-H2, © PARSIFAL and © ONERA 2 3 TABLETABLE OFOF CONTENTSCONTENTS INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION FOREWORD 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 With worldwide air-traffic demand increasing at nearly 5% (ACARE) Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). INTRODUCTION 5 SECTION 4 - HYDROGEN PROPULSION 35 every year until 2019, aviation has been one of the most Future step changes in areas such as disruptive airframe rapidly growing transport sectors: it moved more than 4.4 configurations, low-emission propulsion systems (including STRATOFLY billion passengers in 2018, with a record of 120 thousand hybrid-electric and hydrogen technologies), Sustainable THEMATIC AREAS ADDRESSED BY THE FUNDED 36 daily operated flights, and is expected to move more than Aviation Fuels (SAF), advanced lighter materials and more 7.2 billion passengers in 20351. efficient manufacturing processes, on-board systems, as PROJECTS 6 ENABLEH2 37 well as greener operations, will need to prove their value The growth in air transport is accompanied by a growing compared to evolutionary developments, whilst maintaining SECTION 5 - LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURES AND demand for energy resources to “fuel” the sector2, leading or improving the high levels of reliability, safety and usability SECTION 1 - DISRUPTIVE AIRFRAME to an increase of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant that customers demand. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PROCESSES emissions, as well as perceived noise levels. To date, CONFIGURATIONS 9 39 global aviation accounts for approximately 2.1% of global It is evident that the transformation towards climate-neutral carbon dioxide3 (CO2) emissions, and by 2050 emissions are aviation will be achieved by combining contributions from ECO-COMPASS PARSIFAL 10 40 expected to be seven to ten times higher than in 1990 due several novel technologies (and not by one single solution), to the increase in air-traffic, according to International Civil thus highlighting the importance of accelerating research EXTREME SMS 11 41 Aviation Organisation (ICAO) projections. However, political and technology development in all promising areas. instability in specific regions, wars or pandemic diseases Bionic Aircraft The EU research in clean aviation is not only producing CENTRELINE 12 42 which pose an on-going threat to global security can in turn influence either on a short-term or long-term the future excellent results, it is also strengthening the European NHYTE 43 of aviation growth and hence on the relevant emissions aviation industry and fostering cooperation, even beyond SECTION 2 - SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUELS 15 (Kousoulidou et al. 2016)4. EU borders. Several projects include partners from further afield, such as the USA, Canada, Japan, China, Russia and BECOOL 16 SECTION 6 - OPERATIONS IMPACT ON CLIMATE Mitigating aviation impact on climate change, community Brazil, helping to tackle the climate change challenge at a noise and air quality is of primary importance in order to global level. BioMates 17 CHANGE 45 safeguard people’s health and quality of life, and to protect the environment. The European aviation research community This publication presents the contribution of INEA-managed ACACIA aviation research and innovation projects to the EU policy ABC-Salt 18 46 is currently addressing these challenges by leveraging on a growing number of dedicated research projects financed priority of reducing aviation’s environmental footprint. It ClimOP under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework includes a concrete overview of project objectives, activities BIO4A 47 19 Programme. As highlighted in the Flightpath 2050 – Europe’s and results focused on decarbonising and increasing GreAT 48 Vision for Aviation, research and technology developments the sustainability of aviation by advancing the state of HyFlexFuel 20 for clean aviation should be further accelerated to the art in various technology areas, such as disruptive effectively allow, by 2050, 75% reduction in CO2 emissions airframe configurations (section 1), Sustainable Aviation JETSCREEN 21 SECTION 7 - AIR QUALITY AND NOISE 51 per passenger kilometre, 90% reduction in NOX emissions Fuels (section 2), hybrid-electric propulsion (section 3), and 65% reduction in perceived noise emissions (compared hydrogen (section 4), lightweight structures and advanced ALTERNATE 22 AVIATOR 52 to the capabilities of typical aircraft of 2000). manufacturing processes (section 5), and green operations (section 6). Finally, this publication offers an overview of the SUN-to-LIQUID 23 SOPRANO 53 To achieve the EU environmental goals by 2050, disruptive contribution from INEA-managed aviation projects towards innovation in aircraft configuration and operations (including reducing the perceived levels of aircraft noise and ensuring KEROGREEN 24 ANIMA 54 alternative energy sources) will be crucial for the EU aviation healthy air quality5 in and around airports, which are both industry to stay globally competitive, as also indicated by issues of great public concern (section 7). eCOCO2 25 ARTEM 55 the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe SECTION 3 - HYBRID-ELECTRIC PROPULSION 27 AERIALIST 56 RUMBLE ASuMED 28 57 TurboNoiseBB MAHEPA 29 58 1 IATA, https://www.iata.org, 2019. Projections refer to a pre-COVID scenario. 2 Alonso, G., Benito, A., Lonza, L., Kousoulidou, M. “Investigations on the distribution of air transport traffic and CO2 emissions within the European Union”, Journal of Air Transport H3PS 30 INEA IN BRIEF 60 Management, 36, p. 85-93, 2014. 3 Aviation in the EU ETS, March 2020, https://www.emissions-euets.com/carbon-market-glossary. FUtPRINt50 31 4 Marina Kousoulidou and Laura Lonza. “Biofuels in Aviation: Fuel and CO2 Projections in Europe, Implications and new trends to 2030”, Journal of Transportation Research, Part RELEVANT PROJECT PUBLICATIONS 62 D: Transport and Environment, 46, p. 166–181, 2016. IMOTHEP 32 5 Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC). 4 5 THEMATICTHEMATIC AREASAREAS ADDRESSEDADDRESSED BYBY THETHE SECTION 1 Disruptive airframe configurations FUNDEDFUNDED PROJECTSPROJECTS