A feasibility study jointly conducted by Air New Zealand and US-based waste-to-fuel developer LanzaJet has concluded that up to 25% of New Zealand’s domestic aviation fuel needs could be met using sustainable aviation fuel produced locally using woody waste residue as a feedstock. The SAF would be produced through a two-stage process, initially converting the wood to ethanol using the CirculAir carbon recycling technology developed by LanzaJet and its sibling, LanzaTech, then using LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) pathway to transform the ethanol to SAF. The airline’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Kiri Hannifin, said the findings were “very positive for a country that is heavily reliant on long-haul aviation and trade and currently imports 100% of its jet fuel.” The NZ study result closely followed the announcement of a carbon-to-SAF partnership between LanzaTech and emerging Australian SAF producer Wagner Sustainable Fuels, and another in Japan between LanzaTech and the SEKISUI Chemical Company to convert municipal and industrial waste to ethanol then SAF.

The New Zealand study was co-funded by the airline and its majority shareholder, the New Zealand government, supported by Scion, a Crown research institute focused on forestry and wood products; fuel and infrastructure company Z Energy; and Wood Beca, a project engineering business specialising in oil, gas and wood, to explore opportunities for local production of non-fossil fuels for aviation.

Announcement of the report’s preliminary conclusions followed a contentious decision by the airline to scrap its 2030 carbon emissions reduction targets and withdraw from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), citing challenges to the availability of new, lower-emission aircraft types and alternative fuels, and support from governments and regulators for decarbonisation initiatives.

“Alternative jet fuel such as SAF is currently the only real tool available to address carbon emissions from long-haul aviation, so it’s crucial for connecting New Zealanders, tourists and exporters with the rest of the world,” said Hannifin.

“There is already significant international momentum and, in our view, New Zealand shouldn’t get left too far behind, or we risk seeing the flow of capital go elsewhere, or our valuable raw materials being swooped up by other markets for their own SAF.

“The right settings and regulatory environment will be important as New Zealand considers homegrown SAF because it’s the only way to secure the necessary global investment.”

LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis welcomed initial results from the feasibility study and said a second phase was now underway to investigate the potential for household and commercial waste to also be used as fuel feedstock.

“Building a new industry requires developing a broad ecosystem for SAF in New Zealand, anchored in technology and supported by policy, capital and demand to help attract funding and make it at a price airlines can afford,” said Samartzis.

CirculAir, the SAF production approach assessed in the study, combines the technologies of LanzaTech and LanzaJet to convert waste carbon into SAF.

“The process starts with LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology which, in this case, converts gasified forestry residues into ethanol. LanzaJet then converts that into SAF using its proprietary and industry-leading alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) technology,” explained Samartzis.

“Turning woody biomass into SAF is technically possible in New Zealand and with the right settings, is an industry that can get started fairly quickly. We look forward to completing additional analysis into what other feedstocks, such as municipal household and commercial waste, could be used to make domestic SAF production an even more attractive option.”  

Soon before the conclusions were announced from the first phase of the New Zealand study, LanzaTech and LanzaJet signed an agreement to test their CirculAir carbon-to-SAF technology at ‘The Project,’ the Brisbane SAF refinery of Wagner Sustainable Fuels.

The first stage of this process uses LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology to convert industrial emissions or municipal solid waste into ethanol, which is then transformed into drop-in SAF using LanzaJet’s AtJ technology.

The CirculAir platform is designed to unlock carbon from a multitude of waste-based resources, providing flexibility for feedstock conversion.

“The combination of LanzaJet’s leading SAF solution with the front end of LanzaTech’s proven and commercialised carbon recycling technology makes it possible to create a domestic SAF supply in Australia using local renewable waste sources, further supporting the country’s energy security while also working to protect its natural environment,” said LanzaJet’s Samartzis.

Matt Doyle, CEO of Wagner Sustainable Fuels, said the CirculAir partnership with LanzaTech and LanzaJet would advance his company’s Brisbane refinery and accelerate the development of a SAF industry in Australia, where multiple projects are now being scoped or progressing towards final investment decision.

“Together, these proven technologies can help us realise Australia’s first, fully integrated SAF production facility and provide a path to producing domestic fuel at scale,” he said.

The Wagner Project has also secured backing from both Boeing and the Queensland state government.

Earlier this year, LanzaJet also signed a licensing agreement with Jet Zero Australia, which is developing an AtJ SAF plant in Townsville, North Queensland, and will use agricultural biomass including sugar cane waste as a feedstock for the fuel.

Jet Zero, whose investors include Qantas, Airbus and Japanese petroleum group Idemitsu Kosan, plans to produce up to 102 million litres of SAF and 10 million litres of renewable diesel per year. It is targeting production from 2027. 

LanzaTech has also partnered with Japan’s SEKISUI Chemical Company to jointly develop a platform which transforms syngas from municipal and industrial solid waste into ethanol, and then into products including sustainable aviation fuel.

Under a master licence agreement, SEKISUI plans to build multiple facilities across Japan, with the first expected to produce 10 to 12 kilotons of ethanol annually for use not only in SAF but also chemicals and materials including packaging and apparel. The deal extends a decade-long partnership between the two companies to divert garbage away from landfill or incineration for recycling as product feedstock.

Japan is active in recycling and decarbonisation and is one of the leading climate action markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Among its initiatives, it has mandated that by 2030 SAF will make up 10% of all fuel used by its domestic airlines and departing international carriers.

The expanded partnership between LanzaTech and SEKISUI follows the successful operation of a pilot plant established in 2017 in Yorii-machi, Saitama, and the completion in 2022 of a demonstration plant in Kuji City, Iwate, with annual capacity to convert approximately 400 tons of municipal solid waste to ethanol for further processing.

Each year, said the companies in their announcement, Japan generates some 56 million tons of combustible waste, which ordinarily would be sent to landfill facilities, “emitting methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide,” or incinerated for power generation, emitting embedded carbon into the atmosphere.

Using the LanzaTech technology, unsorted combustible waste is gasified, then converted into ethanol through the use of a microbial catalyst and gas fermentation technology which requires no chemical catalysts, heat or pressure.

“We are pleased to expand our collaboration with longstanding partner LanzaTech, whose waste-to-ethanol technology is converting municipal solid waste into a valuable resource and providing an innovative solution to ending our reliance on fresh fossil fuels,” said Futoshi Kamiwaki, SEKISUI Representative Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer.

LanzaTech CEO Dr Jennifer Holmgren said the extended agreement also progressed her company’s vision for a circular carbon economy.

“We are grateful to SEKISUI for their commitment to scaling carbon recycling across Japan,” said Holmgren, “and for being at the forefront of developing a global blueprint for other countries and businesses to follow on how to access and utilise the carbon locked in local garbage.

“Our continued collaboration with SEKISUI is setting the groundwork for providing municipalities with a platform that reduces waste, captures carbon, generates valuable feedstocks and, importantly, creates jobs.

Photo: Air New Zealand

Tony Harrington

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Air New Zealand, which has recently been considering multiple net zero aviation pathways, has surprisingly scrapped its 2030 science-based carbon intensity reduction target, citing challenges to the availability of new aircraft and alternative fuels, and support from governments and regulators for decarbonisation initiatives. The airline’s CEO, Greg Foran, singled out potential delays to the company’s fleet renewal plans as a specific impediment to achieving 2030 targets, and said a new near-term carbon emissions reduction target would be developed to more closely align with the global availability of new aircraft and fuels. The announcement coincided with a joint announcement by the New Zealand and Australian governments to collaborate on the development of sustainable aviation fuel and green hydrogen as part of a broader agreement on sustainable energy and trade between the two nations. To help speed up SAF supply and use, New Zealand aviation companies will be invited to participate in Australia’s Jet Zero Council.

Air New Zealand announced an interim 2030 target on its journey to a 2050 net zero emissions goal in 2022, which was validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It required a 28.9% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 from a 2019 baseline, equating to a 16.3% reduction in absolute emissions over the period. The airline said at the time it provided a “clear signal of where we need to be by 2030, in order to meet the 2050 goal.”

The airline’s shock decision to axe the target and withdraw from the SBTi was announced in a statement to the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges, in which the carrier referenced widespread fleet, fuel and policy impediments to meeting its promised decarbonisation targets.

“In recent months, and more so in the last few weeks, it has become apparent that potential delays to our fleet renewal plan pose an additional risk to the target’s achievability,” said Foran. “It is possible the airline may need to retain its existing fleet for longer than planned due to global manufacturing and supply chain issues that could potentially slow the introduction of newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft into the fleet. 

“As such, and given so many levers needed to meet the target are outside our control, the decision has been made to retract the 2030 target and withdraw from the SBTi immediately.”

Although he did not specify which aircraft renewal programmes were impacted, the airline had planned to replace or upgrade its fleet of 23 Q300 turboprop airliners by 2030 and to progress similar plans for its larger and younger fleet of ATR 72 aircraft later in the decade.

Last year, as part of its Mission Next Gen programme to identify future aircraft and propulsion systems, the airline selected partners including US-based Universal Hydrogen, which proposed a system whereby existing aircraft were retrofitted with new hydrogen-electric propulsion systems, and containers of the fuel were loaded directly onto the aircraft they would power, negating the need for ground-based hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. Last month, Universal Hydrogen collapsed after failing to secure urgent funding to progress certification. 

Air New Zealand’s action has flagged concerns that the airline industry is losing confidence in its broader ability to meet climate targets.

“Air New Zealand has been more ambitious, and publicly so, than almost all other airlines in setting out sustainability goals, and that’s very much to its credit,” said Patrick Edmond, Managing Director of European aviation consultancy Altair Advisory. “It’s galling to have to step back from those goals, but that’s also a warning sign for the feasibility of the industry’s overall target. If one of the most committed airlines in the world can’t hit its interim target, how realistic is the 2050 net-zero moonshot, especially as that assumes net zero is compatible with continuing strong worldwide air traffic growth?”

But Air New Zealand’s chair, Dame Therese Walsh, reaffirmed in its advice to the stock exchanges the airline’s continued commitment to achieving its 2050 targets. “Our work to transition away from fossil fuels continues, as does our advocacy for the global and domestic regulatory and policy settings that will help facilitate Air New Zealand, and the wider aviation system in New Zealand, to do its part to mitigate climate change risks.”

In Brisbane, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, and Treasurer, Dr Jim Chalmers, met with New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister, Simon Watts, and Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, to discuss economic and industrial benefits for both countries associated with the transition to net zero emissions.

Among their resolutions, they agreed to investigate requirements to develop a regional SAF industry, and to review regulatory barriers impeding progress in both countries towards net zero emissions. It was also agreed that New Zealand aviation companies and representatives be invited to join Australia’s Jet Zero Council, established last year.

“A big focus of our discussions was on low-carbon liquid fuel production in our region, and ensuring we have strong supply chains for the more sustainable fuels that can power our trucks, cargo ships and planes into the future,” said Minister Bowen. “We have agreed to work more closely with the aviation, maritime and agricultural industries to help them decarbonise, as well as specific work to improve the supply chain security of the sustainable fuels these industries will rely on more and more.”

The New Zealand ministers also highlighted the importance of financing climate initiatives, a key issue for this year’s UN climate summit, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan. “In the lead-up to COP29, where the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance will be decided, we will continue to participate in negotiations on how finance can support global climate action,” said Minister Watts.

“Unlocking investment to reduce and remove emissions from the atmosphere is key to helping us meet our climate change targets,” added Minister Willis.

The CEO of NZ Airports Association, Billie Moore, welcomed collaboration between Australia and New Zealand to progress low carbon fuels for aviation. “Australia is well-positioned to develop a large-scale sustainable aviation fuel industry,” she said. “While New Zealand could establish some domestic supply, we will always be dependent on SAF imports, so we have a big stake in supporting Australia to be a successful player in the global SAF market.

“By welcoming New Zealand representatives into Australia’s Jet Zero Council and allowing New Zealand to engage in Australia’s SAF strategy and fuel certification schemes, ministers have laid the foundation for the development of an aligned regional approach that is squarely in New Zealand’s national interest.”

Photo: Air New Zealand is planning to upgrade or replace its Q300 turboprop fleet

Tony Harrington

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Momentum is building in the Asia-Pacific region around improving the sustainability of the aviation sector and the use of sustainable aviation fuels. Major rivals Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines have signed a MoU to work together on a range of sustainability measures, while Vietnam Airlines has signed up to IATA’s CO2 Connect platform and recently conducted its first SAF flight, using a blend produced and supplied from Neste’s Singapore refinery. Dubai-based Emirates has also taken its first shipment in Singapore of SAF from Neste. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has received 500,000 litres of SAF produced in China by Hong Kong energy company EcoCeres and blended by ExxonMobil. Meanwhile, Korean Air is expanding its cargo SAF programme through a new partnership with global logistics company CEVA.

The Cathay-Singapore collaboration was agreed by their respective chief executives at IATA’s recent annual general meeting in Dubai, reiterating the commitment of both carriers to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and help drive the industry’s shift to more sustainable operations.

The two will jointly press for increased use of SAF across the APAC region and look for opportunities to jointly procure the fuel at specific locations. They will also publicly promote the fuel’s key role in cleaner aviation, advocate for Asia-Pacific governments to enact SAF-supportive policies and urge the creation of a single global accounting and reporting framework to ensure that emission reductions claimed from the use of SAF are both transparent and verified.   

Additionally, Cathay and Singapore will share best practices to reduce single-use plastics, minimise waste and improve energy efficiency in ground operations.

“As part of our collaborative ethos of ‘Greener Together’ we actively seek like-minded industry leaders for strategic partnerships in transitioning to sustainable aviation,” said Cathay’s CEO, Ronald Lam. “Our collaboration with Singapore Airlines aims to accelerate and support the development of the SAF supply chain in the region, fostering a reliable SAF ecosystem to enable the industry to achieve its long-term decarbonisation goals.”

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said his company was committed to embedding sustainable practices across all areas of the business but added the airline could not achieve all targets by acting alone. “Our partnership with Cathay signifies our mutual ambition to enhance collaboration in sustainability initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “Together we are helping to set the foundation for a more sustainable aviation industry and ensure that future generations continue to reap the benefits of air travel.” 

Also at the Dubai AGM, Vietnam Airlines joined IATA’s CO2 Connect project, through which airlines contribute operational data to the programme’s emissions calculator to help accurately quantify carbon emissions for each passenger by route flown and aircraft type.  Other participants in the programme include American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways, all of which are members of the oneworld global airline alliance.

“Reducing CO2 emissions and promoting sustainable development are top priorities for the global aviation industry,” explained IATA. “However, the measurement and reporting of CO2 emissions have been inconsistent due to the various methodologies used by different airlines.”

The CO2 Connect project creates a common platform for airlines to supply consistent calculation of aircraft CO2 emissions to enable both carriers and passengers to make environmentally informed decisions. The programme uses Recommended Practice Per Passenger CO2 Calculation Methodology (RP-1726), which assesses metrics including airline fuel measurement protocols, the CO2 allocation between passengers and cargo, and cabin class to help ensure the most accurate carbon footprint calculations.

“By participating in CO2 Connect,” said IATA, “Vietnam Airlines underscores its commitment to sustainable development, contributing to the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, as pledged by Vietnam at the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, COP26.”

In May, Vietnam Airlines conducted its first flight to use sustainable aviation fuel, with an Airbus A321 taking on blended fuel at Singapore Changi for a return flight to Hanoi. Additionally, the airline became the first visiting carrier from the Asia-Pacific region to benefit from SAF produced at the Neste refinery in Singapore.

“We believe that the use of SAF will help create a more sustainable future for the aviation industry, providing passengers with both excellent service quality and environmental friendliness,” said Nguyen Chien Thang, EVP of Vietnam Airlines. “We are collaborating with our partners in the supply chain to expand the use of SAF in the future, thereby contributing to the successful achievement of goals related to net-zero emissions and climate change prevention.”

Emirates too has now started using Neste’s blended SAF in Singapore, produced from sustainably sourced renewable waste and residue raw materials including used cooking oil and animal fat. It is the first SAF procurement by Emirates in Asia and part of a broader global agreement with Neste.

“Emirates’ investment into Neste-produced SAF in Singapore marks a first step forward in our SAF adoption in Asia, a region that is primed to become a leading supplier of SAF, which continues to be in short supply,” said Adel Al Redha, the airline’s deputy president and COO. “While the activation of this agreement marks a milestone in our SAF journey in a new region, there’s still a lot of work to do. And as we procure SAF for the short term, we’ve got our sights set on longer-term agreements to help scale up a steady supply of SAF for our operations.”

The airline also uses SAF on flights from Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Paris, Lyon and Oslo, and late last year integrated SAF into fuelling systems at its home hub, Dubai.

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has acquired 500,000 litres of SAF produced from used cooking oil in China by Hong Kong headquartered renewable energy company EcoCeres and blended by Exxon Mobil.

The SAF was delivered to Wellington Airport for use in Air New Zealand’s fleet of ATR 72 regional airliners. The carrier says this volume of SAF is sufficient to fuel 165 Airbus A320 flights between the country’s capital, Wellington, and New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. 

“Airlines are signing supply arrangements for SAF 10 years into the future and beyond,” said Air NZ’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Kiri Hannifin, “so we need to be part of the picture from the start, otherwise New Zealand may fall behind. While the volumes of SAF we are buying are very small compared to the amount of fossil jet fuel we use, they give an important signal to alternative fuel producers that we are open for business.

“We’ve seen increased international momentum around SAF in the past few months, with airlines, governments, airports and fuel companies all getting on board with alternative fuels at pace.

“From 2026, our aircraft will be required to uplift SAF when we fly home from Singapore and Vancouver. Japan has announced a SAF requirement from 2030 and other countries are also making signals that SAF will be mandated for all airlines for outbound flights including in Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China.”

EcoCeres, a business unit of energy supplier Hong Kong and China Gas, operates a waste oil plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province in China, producing 100,000 tonnes of SAF per year and 200,000 tonnes per year of renewable diesel. The company says it is the world’s first ISCC-CORSIA Plus approved SAF processing facility. It is now planning a second plant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, that would produce around 350,000 tonnes a year of low carbon transportation fuel.

Following a $400 million strategic investment made in EcoCeres by Bain Capital in 2023, the fast-expanding company earlier this year appointed former Neste CEO Matti Lievonen as its Executive Chairman. He has been joined by another former Neste executive, Phil Moore, who has taken up the position of Global Head of Sustainable Aviation Fuels.

Meanwhile, Korean Air is expanding its cargo SAF programme through a new partnership with global logistics company CEVA.

The logistics group will support Korean Air’s use of SAF for cargo operations, and the airline will reciprocate by sharing carbon emissions reductions with CEVA.

“One of CEVA’s key short-term levers to promote decarbonisation hinges on collaboration,” said Olivier Boccara, CEVA’s Air and Ocean Leader, APAC. “Through developing new solutions for our customers with airline partners like Korean Air we are able to contribute to meaningful change in our industry.

“Extending our SAF offering into the Asian market is a tangible step we can take now as we look ahead to more advances in fuels and other technologies to decarbonise air freight and the global supply chain.”

Photo: Emirates aircraft refuelled with Neste SAF at Singapore Changi Airport

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

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North America has seen new sustainable aviation fuel agreements this month announced by Boeing and Canada’s WestJet, as well as Air New Zealand for supply in Los Angeles. Boeing has signed deals with multiple SAF suppliers to source 9.4 million gallons of blended product, its biggest single annual commitment. Of this, 4 million gallons are destined for its Pacific Northwest fuel farms and another 5.4 million gallons for distribution through book-and-claim programmes. In Canada, Calgary-based WestJet has bought the first SAF supplied in the country through Shell Aviation’s Avelia book-and-claim system. And in Los Angeles, Air New Zealand is taking delivery this year of 9 million litres (2.4 million gallons) of neat SAF produced in Singapore by renewable energy group Neste. Additionally, Boeing has just partnered with Australia’s Wagner Sustainable Fuels in developing a SAF blending facility in the state of Queensland.   

Boeing’s latest commitment, 60% greater than its SAF acquisitions in 2023, will be used in the company’s ecoDemonstrator programme, through which technologies and practices designed to increase aircraft efficiency and reduce their emissions are assessed using the company’s fleet of testbed aircraft. The blended supplies, all of which will include 30% SAF developed with waste fats, oils and greases, will also be used on Boeing’s commercial operational flights in the US.

The 4 million gallons of blended SAF destined for Boeing’s fuel farms will be produced by renewable energy group Neste and supplied by two US-based independent suppliers – 2.5 million gallons from EPIC Fuels, which operates major facilities in Oregon and Texas, and 1.5 million gallons from Avfuel, based in Michigan.

The additional 5.4 million gallons of blended SAF will also be provided in two batches, with 3.5 million gallons of Neste-made SAF to be supplied by EPIC Fuels, and 1.9 million gallons produced by World Fuel Services and supplied by World Energy. Through a book-and-claim process, Boeing will purchase the CO2 emissions reductions associated with these deals.

As well as driving up demand for SAF, book-and-claim systems authenticate the environmental attributes and ensure that these are allocated to buyers of the fuel as offset credits towards their net zero carbon emission targets.

 “About 20% of our fuel usage is a SAF blend,” said Ryan Faucett, Boeing’s VP Environmental Sustainability. “We continue to increase our use of this fuel to encourage growth in the SAF industry. We are also working to make SAF more available and affordable to our commercial airline customers through collaboration, investment, research and policy development.”

In Canada, WestJet said it had acquired the first SAF to be supplied in the country by Shell Aviation via its Avelia book-and-claim platform, though neither the volume nor timeframe of the fuel deal were disclosed in the airline’s announcement. Avelia uses blockchain technology to confirm transparent tracking of the environmental attributes of SAF, from production to delivery into aviation fuelling networks.

“WestJet is committed to enhancing our position as a first mover in sustainability technologies,” said Angela Avery, the airline group’s EVP and Chief People, Corporate and Sustainability Officer. “Just as we pioneered advancements in winglets and drag reduction, WestJet proudly stands as the first airline to acquire SAF by Shell in Canada. This first step sets the stage for future collaboration and innovation to encourage investments in this important lever for decarbonisation.”

The airline also added to the industry’s growing global pressure for support of SAF, saying it continued to work with government and industry partners to establish a sustainable, long-term commercial framework for the fuel which, “with the right regulatory and investment environment”, was one of aviation’s more viable and scalable decarbonisation pathways.

Christine Bassitt, Shell Aviation’s GM Americas, welcomed the WestJet deal, which not only supported decarbonisation of air transport, but simultaneously expanded the SAF supply chain in Canada to enable greater access to the fuel. 

Air New Zealand’s latest SAF deal was signed in Singapore during a New Zealand government-sponsored business delegation to South-East Asia, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, a former CEO of the airline. The fuel will be produced by Neste at its recently expanded Singapore refinery, with the first supplies already being delivered to Los Angeles International Airport, from which the airline flies daily. The total order will be fulfilled by 30 November.

This is the biggest purchase of SAF from Neste by any airline based outside North America and Europe for delivery before the end of 2024, and nine times Air New Zealand’s first SAF acquisition from Neste in 2022. The airline’s total global SAF uptake between April and the end of November is expected to be 850 million litres (225 million gallons), as part of a broader decarbonisation programme that includes the introduction of electric aircraft.

Having committed last year to acquire up to 23 all-electric ALIA aircraft from Beta Technologies, the airline has now announced Wellington-Marlborough as the first route for all-cargo flights, to operate in partnership with NZ Post.  Serving as a commercial demonstrator for zero emission operations, the first aircraft will be based in Wellington, the national capital, at the base of New Zealand’s North Island, while Marlborough Airport in Blenheim, at the top of the South Island, will install charging infrastructure for the plane’s return journey across the Cook Strait.

Kiri Hannifin, Air New Zealand’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said the demonstrator aircraft would be used to gradually prepare the national aviation system for lower emission aircraft ahead of 2030, when the airline plans to phase out its fleet of 23 Q300 turboprops, or potentially convert them to new zero-emission propulsion systems.  

“Decarbonising aviation is of global importance, and in New Zealand maintaining regional connectivity through this transition is of national importance,” said Dean Heiford, CEO of Marlborough Airport. “This is a big step for us on our own sustainability journey that we wouldn’t have been able to achieve without partnership. We’re looking forward to sharing our learnings with other regional airports across New Zealand.”

In neighbouring Australia, Boeing has bolstered its latest commitment to SAF by partnering with Wagner Sustainable Fuels, which has commenced the design and construction of a SAF blending facility in the state of Queensland.

Ther new facility, which is due to open later this year, is located at Wagner’s Wellcamp Airport in the regional city of Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, which accommodates flights ranging from turboprop and narrowbody passenger jets to Boeing 747 freight services by Cathay Pacific, which regularly flies fresh produce from the region to Asia and beyond.

“Wagner’s sustainability goals align with Boeing’s work to advance aviation decarbonisation and energy security through renewable energy including SAF, advanced technologies, operational efficiency and fleet renewal,” said Kim Camrass, sustainability lead for Boeing in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific.

“We’re proud to contribute to the building blocks of a sovereign SAF production industry with this Australian first facility,” said Matt Doyle, CEO of Wagner Sustainable Fuels, “and anticipate by the end of 2024 this facility will mark the start of the supply of SAF in Australia on a consistent basis.

“In collaboration with Boeing, the Wellcamp blending facility will demonstrate the greenhouse gas emissions reduction benefits of SAF for our customers, provide a focus for federal and state policy makers, and introduce the supply chain to this potential AUD3 billion ($2bn) per year industry.”

Photo: Boeing ecoDemonstrator aircraft refuelled with blended SAF

Tony Harrington

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Air New Zealand is seeking partnerships with emerging providers of sustainable aviation fuel as part of an expanding programme to reduce its flight emissions through industrial collaboration. Having previously linked with established SAF producers and both aircraft and powertrain manufacturers the airline now wants SAF innovators and start-ups as potential suppliers of low-carbon fuel, which it expects will comprise about 20% of its requirements by 2030. Air New Zealand’s search for SAF partners follows the recent release of a study by Ara Ake, New Zealand’s Future Energy Centre, which examines the merits and disbenefits of future fuels and propulsion systems in reducing domestic aviation emissions. The study concluded that only SAF and green hydrogen could effectively decarbonise New Zealand’s internal flights but the volume of resources needed to produce cleaner fuels might short-change other sectors of the economy. Meanwhile, Australian startup Jet Zero Australia has just secured additional funding to produce SAF from sugar cane waste in Queensland.

Kiri Hannifin, Air New Zealand’s Chief Sustainability Officer, says the airline plays a critical role in connecting its remote homeland to other nations, but must do so more sustainably and quickly. Underpinning its search for innovative new SAF partners it has issued an Opportunity Statement, which provides an overview of its needs based on fleet, network and its sustainability targets and criteria.

“A stable supply of SAF is critical to our ability to reduce carbon emissions,” said Hannifin. “That’s why we’ve taken this novel approach, asking emerging SAF producers from around the world to connect with us and respond to the Opportunity Statement.”

Air New Zealand expects SAF to meet about 20% of its aircraft fuel requirements by 2030, in tandem with “a long term and strategic regulatory package” for which it has long advocated in its Flight NZ0 decarbonisation plan.

The SAF Consortium, a lobby group whose members include Air New Zealand, Z Energy, Scion, LanzaTech and LanzaJet, has argued a local SAF industry could deliver 50% of New Zealand’s aviation fuel demand by 2050, supported by domestically-sourced feedstock, with the balance of SAF imported. It has proposed SAF blending mandates, beginning at 2.5% in 2025 and increasing to 50% in 2050, for both domestic and international flights, and called for government policies including tax credits and grants that prioritise production of SAF over biofuels for road transport.

The national airline says it wants to secure short, medium and long term SAF offtake deals, not only to meet its own needs but also to help drive up demand for the fuels and help mitigate production risks for SAF producers, their investors and financiers.

“Air New Zealand is an ideal airline partner for SAF innovators and producers,” added Hannifin. “We have a mature understanding of SAF, a clear roadmap to meet our targets and the volumes of SAF we need to align with current production capabilities. This Opportunity Statement shares our vision and allows current and future SAF producers to recognise both the opportunity and Air New Zealand’s ambition to become a customer as soon as possible.”

Paralleling Air New Zealand’s global invitation to new SAF producers, Ara Ake, New Zealand’s Future Energy Centre, recently concluded a study of future fuels and propulsion systems to help reduce the country’s domestic aviation emissions. It identified strong technical capabilities for battery-electric, green hydrogen and SAF propulsion, but flagged both enormous production costs and a significant drain on national electricity supplies as major impediments.

The report, led by Ara Ake’s Research and Insights Manager, Dr Jono Barnard, calculated that around 200,000 domestic flights operated each year in New Zealand, roughly 22 per hour, and highlighted a high reliance on aviation because of limited surface transport options outside major cities or provincial centres on the South Pacific nation’s two major islands.    

“Approximately 16 million passengers board these flights to travel a total distance over 80 million kilometres, and flight remains to be among the only options to quickly travel in New Zealand, both intra and inter-island,” said the report. “As a result, New Zealand has among the largest per capita domestic aviation emissions in the world and as easier-to-abate sectors of the economy are decarbonised, domestic aviation’s relative portion of national gross emissions will likely increase.”

Ara Ake concluded that while battery-electric, green hydrogen and SAF power could theoretically deliver significant reductions in domestic flight emissions, only SAF and green hydrogen, or a combination of both, could support all of New Zealand’s internal flights, and even then the large volume of resources required to produce cleaner aviation fuels would deprive other sectors.

The report calculated the average emissions reductions offered by various SAF production pathways, with the current most common, hydro-processed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) at 63%, Fischer-Tropsch biomass conversion at 77%, alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) at 51% and e-SAF, produced with green hydrogen, the most efficient at 85%.

“With e-SAF, in theory there are few constraints on the supply side to produce the required hydrogen and carbon,” explained Ara Ake. “However, the production process is expensive and highly energy-intensive, requiring more than twice the electricity than if domestic aviation was decarbonised with liquid hydrogen and approximately 10 times more than SAF produced using waste biomass.”

In neighbouring north Queensland, Australia, startup renewable energy group Jet Zero Australia has just secured A$29 million ($19m) in additional capital to progress construction of an alcohol-to-jet SAF plant which is targeting annual production of 102 million litres of SAF and 11 million litres of renewable diesel by early 2027. US AtJ producer LanzaJet is also a partner in the project, while the Queensland state government provided a A$760,000 grant to fund a feasibility study of the project.

Investors in the latest funding round included Japanese oil company Idemitsu Kosan, to support not only the Australian development but also the Japanese government’s mandate that by 2030, SAF must comprise 10% of all aviation fuel uplifted in that country. The commitment is the first by Idemitsu in a SAF project outside Japan.

The capital raising was also supported by Airbus and Qantas, both existing investors in the development, called Project Ulysses after a South Pacific butterfly species.

Qantas Group Chief Sustainability Officer Andrew Parker said producing SAF onshore had the potential to create 18,000 jobs and generate A$13 billion in economic benefits annually by 2040, in addition to increasing Australia’s domestic fuel security.

Jet Zero Australia has also entered a 50-50 joint venture with Singapore-based Apeiron AgroCommodities, one of Asia’s largest collectors of used cooking oil, to develop low-intensity feedstocks in Australia to help meet growing demand for renewable fuels.

Tony Harrington

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Electric aviation has taken two steps forward but one step back, with Air New Zealand announcing it will introduce as many as 23 short-range electric aircraft from US-based BETA Technologies, and Europe’s EcoPulse hybrid-electric demonstrator aircraft performing its first multi-powered flight, both just days after Rolls-Royce announced plans to dispose of its electric aircraft propulsion division. After an 18-month assessment, Air New Zealand has chosen BETA’s electric-powered ALIA conventional take-off and landing aircraft (eCTOL) to operate from 2026, initially as a commercial demonstrator for short-range operations. The EcoPulse, developed jointly by Airbus, Safran and Daher, and powered by a primary gas turbine engine, then six electric propellers, operated for the first time in hybrid-electric mode during a 100-minute flight from Tarbes Airport in France. The announcements followed the decision of Rolls-Royce to exit electric propulsion as part of a group-wide restructure which includes increased focus on its jet engine business.

Air New Zealand has selected BETA’s ALIA conventional take-off and landing aircraft as part of its Mission Next Gen Aircraft programme following assessments of four new aircraft concepts, which also included the electric Eviation Alice, the hybrid-electric VoltAero Cassio and a hydrogen-powered Britten-Norman Islander from UK-based Cranfield Aerospace Solutions. The airline has placed an initial firm order for one BETA ALIA aircraft, with options for two more and rights for a further 20.

“This is a small but important step in a much larger journey for Air New Zealand,” said the airline’s CEO, Greg Foran. “We need to accelerate the pace of change in the technology, infrastructure, operations and regulation.

“While this aircraft will add to, not replace, our existing fleet, it is a catalyst for that change. By flying the ALIA, we hope to advance our knowledge and the transformation needed in the aviation system in Aotearoa [New Zealand] for us to fly larger, fleet-replacing, next-generation aircraft from 2030.”  At that time, the airline plans to phase out its fleet of 23 conventionally powered Q300 turboprops.

Although the BETA ALIA is designed to carry up to five passengers and one pilot, the airline initially plans to partner with New Zealand Post to provide cargo-only services on a test route to be announced early next year, following expressions of interest from airports across the country, where regional aviation provides critical links between small communities, many of which are not well-served by road access. 

The BETA ALIA eCTOL version has flown up to 480 kilometres in one test flight, well over Air New Zealand’s initial requirement to fly routes of up to 150 kilometres. In service, it would fly at altitudes of between 1,500 and 3,000 metres, and speeds of up to 270 kph, subject to regulatory approval by the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority.

Kyle Clark, BETA’s CEO, said Air New Zealand was “hyper-focused on bringing technologies to scale as quickly as possible, both to meet its own ambitions to decarbonise and to change the broader aviation landscape. We are gratified by the airline’s confidence in our technology as a solution that will meet their operational needs and look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand as we bring the ALIA to market for 2026.”

In France, the EcoPulse testbed aircraft, an adapted version of a Daher TBM airframe, performed the inaugural test flight with its six integrated electric thrusters, or e-Propellers, activated. It was powered by both a battery and a turbogenerator.

Three Safran propellers have been fitted to each wing, and aerodynamically tested since early this year, when two, then four, and finally all six were installed. Powered by the legacy turboprop engine in its nose, the aircraft has been progressively test flown to assess handling characteristics with the added inertia of wing propellers and pods. 

The electric generator is powered by a gas turbine, provided by Safran, and a high-energy density power pack provided by Airbus.

Central to the system is a Power Distribution and Rectifier Unit (PDRU), again from Safran, to protect the high voltage network and distribute the electrical power, while the Airbus-designed battery pack is rated at 800 Volts DC and can generate up to 350 kilowatts of energy. Airbus also developed the flight control computer which enables the aircraft to manoeuvre using its e-Propellers.

“This is a major milestone for our industry,” said Airbus CTO Sabine Klauke, “and we’re proud to have powered the EcoPulse demonstrator first flight with our new battery systems. High energy density batteries will be necessary to reduce carbon emissions from aviation, whether for light aircraft, advanced air mobility, or large hybrid-electric aircraft. Projects like EcoPulse are key to accelerating progress in electric and hybrid-electric flight, and a cornerstone of our aim to decarbonise the aerospace industry as a whole.”

Eric Dalbiès, Safran’s CTO and EVP Strategy, said the EcoPulse test “confirmed that this disruptive propulsion system works in flight, which paves the way for more sustainable aviation. The lessons learned from upcoming flight tests will feed into our technology roadmap and strengthen our position as leader in future all-electric and hybrid-electric propulsive systems.”

And Daher CTO Pascal Laguerre said the partnership was “working to converge practical and significant know-how on design, certification and operation to shape our path towards more sustainable aircraft for the future.”

While these programmes progress, Rolls-Royce, during its 2023 Capital Markets Day, has revealed plans to sell its electric aviation propulsion division as part of a company-wide restructure. The unit is involved in producing powertrains for next-generation aircraft including air taxis and short-range commuter craft.

It will intensify its focus on engines for widebody commercial jets and business aircraft, while also progressing its UltraFan engine programme, which will be central to its plans to re-enter the narrowbody aircraft market.

“In Rolls-Royce electrical we are looking at options to exit in the short run or alternatively, for the right value, reduce our position to minority with an intention to exit fully in the mid-term,” the company said. “We believe, given the world-class capability we have built in Advanced Air Mobility, that this will represent good value to a third party and will allow us to focus on our core electrical engineering activities in Power Systems, Defence and Civil Aerospace.” 

Image (Chris Tarpey): BETA’s ALIA eCTOL in Air New Zealand livery

Tony Harrington

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Air New Zealand and the New Zealand government have shortlisted two US-based renewable fuel providers, Fulcrum BioEnergy and LanzaJet, the latter in combination with LanzaTech, to conduct feasibility studies for the local production of sustainable aviation fuel, using solid waste as a feedstock. Following proposals last year from multiple international SAF producers, the airline and the government will jointly invest over NZ$2.2 million (US$1.35m) to evaluate the technical, economic, supply chain and environmental feasibility of production pathways offered by the two providers. LanzaTech transforms waste raw materials into low-carbon ethanol, which LanzaJet then converts into SAF through its alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) process, while Fulcrum converts landfill waste to low-carbon fuel through a combination of gasification and Fischer-Tropsch conversion technologies.

The selection of the two SAF producers was announced during the launch of New Zealand’s draft Tourism Environment Action Plan, designed to help reduce the emissions of country’s tourism sector, and adapt it to the challenges of climate change.

“Air New Zealand has a significant role to play in transitioning our economy to a lower-carbon future,” said the airline’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Kiri Hannifin. “Flying with SAF is a key part of this transition.”

Because New Zealand is geographically remote and heavily reliant on long-haul aviation, plentiful access to affordable SAF is considered critical. But because the fuel is in short supply globally and currently can only be sourced offshore, support is strong in New Zealand for local SAF production.

“Our climate is worsening at a rate far faster than predicted,” said Hannifin. “We all need to take immediate and drastic action to protect what we love, including our land, and all that depends on her. Commercially producing SAF in New Zealand would not only help to lower the country’s emissions while creating jobs, regional economic development and Maori and Iwi [indigenous] investment opportunities, but also provide energy security and energy independence, which is something New Zealand doesn’t have.”  

Air New Zealand is targeting net zero emissions by 2050 through initiatives including SAF use and the introduction of electric or hydrogen-powered regional aircraft, with at least one of the new propulsion technologies targeted for entry into commercial service as early as 2026. The airline has also committed that SAF will comprise 10% of its total jet fuel consumption by 2030, and last year imported its first supplies from European company Neste, which produces the fuel from waste fats, oils and greases.

The selection of the two US companies followed a year-long request for proposals from renewable fuel companies to demonstrate how they would viably establish and operate SAF plants at commercial scale in New Zealand. Evaluation of the two shortlisted companies is due to conclude early next year, with Air New Zealand committing over NZ$1.5 million (US$934,000) and the government NZ$765,000 (US$476,000) towards the dual assessments.

Jimmy Samartzis, Founding CEO of LanzaJet, said : “A sustainable fuels industry enables countries to gain energy independence with domestic production of fuels alongside infrastructure and economic development, while having a positive benefit on climate change – and that’s what we’re looking to enable in New Zealand.”

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of Chicago-headquartered LanzaTech, which was founded in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2005, added: “We appreciate the leadership shown by Air New Zealand and the New Zealand government in enabling a future where domestic wastes and residues can be meaningfully repurposed, enabling energy security and regional growth opportunities.”

Focused mainly on forestry residues for the New Zealand project, LanzaTech will use its gas fermentation technology to transform waste into low-carbon ethanol, which will then be converted into SAF by LanzaJet, through its scaled-up AtJ process. The two will be supported by Z Energy, New Zealand’s largest retailer of fuel, to evaluate the SAF supply chain, including options for fuel feedstocks and economic impacts in regional areas.

Fulcrum BioEnergy transforms landfill waste to renewable fuels including SAF, by converting organic waste to “light, confetti-like feedstock”, which through gasification is converted to syngas, before being produced through the Fischer-Tropsch process into renewable fuel.

Late last year, at its Sierra BioFuels plant in the US, the company produced the first low-carbon fuel from converted landfill waste, which it claimed cleared the way for commercial production of up to 400 million gallons of renewable fuel per year. Among the company’s investors and customers are Cathay Pacific, United Airlines, Japan Airlines, bp and World Fuel Services, plus Japanese industrial group Marubeni Corporation.

Photo: Air New Zealand

Six aviation and energy businesses have formed a sustainable propulsion partnership in New Zealand to assess and drive the introduction of flights powered by green hydrogen. The Hydrogen Consortium has been established by Airbus, Air New Zealand, Christchurch Airport, Fortescue Future Industries, Hiringa Energy and Fabrum. Together, the companies will create a vision for hydrogen-powered air transport in the South Pacific nation, study the hydrogen supply chain, assess projected hydrogen needs for New Zealand aviation to 2050, and develop a package of policies, regulations and incentives to promote hydrogen-powered air transport. The first phase of the programme will be to research introduction of the fuel and to design within six months a hydrogen ecosystem for New Zealand’s aviation industry. The group will then explore whether test flights of hydrogen-powered aircraft can be performed in the country.

The consortium was launched at Christchurch Airport, which is developing a 400-hectare renewable energy precinct. “The consortium will see some of the world’s best experts collaborate on one of the most promising zero emission fuels – green hydrogen,” said the airport’s Chief Executive, Justin Watson.

The initiative follows Air New Zealand’s recent sustainable aviation partnership expansion, in which nine aircraft or powertrain manufacturers have been appointed as technical advisors to the airline as it progresses plans to introduce zero-emission aircraft on regional air routes from 2026 (see article). Membership of The Hydrogen Consortium also underscores Air New Zealand’s growing interest in hydrogen as a potential fuel, adding to an earlier collaboration with Airbus to explore how hydrogen propulsion would work in the airline’s network.

“To fly hydrogen-powered aircraft in New Zealand will need an aviation ecosystem that can support it,” said Kiri Hannifin, Air New Zealand’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “The Hydrogen Consortium brings together energy, aircraft, airline operator and airport expertise with the aim of bringing this to life. We can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.” The airline plans to operate its first zero-emission aircraft type by 2026, and to replace or upgrade its 23 Q300 turboprops from 2030. It is also actively progressing the introduction of sustainable aviation fuel.

Karine Guenan, Airbus VP of the ZEROe Ecosystem, said achievement of sustainable air transport required collaboration between partners across the aviation and energy sectors. “The consortium we are building brings together a number of pioneering partners with a common interest – to make hydrogen-powered aviation in New Zealand a reality.”

Within the new consortium, Airbus will engage with aviation and non-aviation stakeholders to assess energy supply needs to enable the operation of hydrogen-powered aircraft. Airbus is planning to develop a new hydrogen-powered commercial passenger aircraft for entry into service by 2035.

Hiringa Energy, a New Zealand-based developer, producer and supplier of green hydrogen, is already constructing key infrastructure to support the transition of all transport modes to the new fuel and will activate its first four production and high-capacity refuelling stations this year, ahead of national expansion in 2024.

“There are green hydrogen-fuelled buses, trucks, trains and boats already in service,” said Hiringa’s CEO. Andrew Clennett. These include the chase boat which his company is fuelling for Emirates Team New Zealand, the nation’s entry in the 37th America’s Cup yacht race in Barcelona next year. “Aircraft are a key next step and this consortium has formed to ensure these planes have the infrastructure and hydrogen supply they need to take off here.”

Christchurch-based liquid hydrogen company Fabrum, which designed the hydrogen propulsion technology for the Team New Zealand chase boat, has developed a lightweight liquid hydrogen fuel tank for use in aircraft. “Having these organisations around the same table will turbocharge what we all learn,” said Fabrum co-founder Christopher Boyle. “Together we’ll make a big difference in taking zero emission aviation forward.”

A global green hydrogen technology company based in Australia, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has a growing involvement in the aviation sector. It promotes the use of hydrogen and ammonia produced from 100% renewable energy. “We are on a mission to eliminate fossil fuels, including from the aviation industry, and green hydrogen is the key to achieving this,” said FFI’s CEO, Mark Hutchinson. “The consortium members all have extraordinary expertise in and commitment to the decarbonisation of air travel, and together we believe we can develop a pathway to New Zealand becoming a global trailblazer in this pursuit.”

The company is already a green hydrogen partner of Airbus and is collaborating with US-based Universal Hydrogen, which has developed a containerised fuel system in which green hydrogen, stored in capsules, is transported to airports and loaded directly onto the aircraft it will be used to power, sidestepping the need to use or upgrade airport fuelling infrastructure. The company is preparing to test fly a prototype aircraft in the US.

Christchurch Airport has cut its emissions by 90% since 2016 and now advises other airports on decarbonisation strategies. In 2020, it was the first to achieve the newly-established Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4/4+, the airport industry’s highest carbon reduction recognition. It received the accreditation after cutting its Scope 3 emissions by 83% through the installation of ground source heating and cooling in its terminal building and reducing Scope 2 emissions through the introduction of LED lighting and improved energy efficiencies. It also introduced ground power for aircraft, eliminating the need to use their fossil fuel-powered auxiliary power units while at the airport.

Image: The liquid hydrogen-powered Airbus ZEROe concept aircraft in the turboprop configuration

Air New Zealand has named Heart Aerospace, Embraer and Universal Hydrogen as new partners in its Mission Next Generation Aircraft accelerator research programme to help identify low-or-no emission technology to replace or upgrade its fleet of 23 Q300 turboprop aircraft. The companies will join Airbus and turboprop manufacturer ATR as long-term partners for the airline as it seeks not only a sustainably-powered regional aircraft from 2030 but also clean energy and infrastructure. Also joining the programme is the Robinson Research Institute of New Zealand’s Victoria University, a specialist in superconducting technologies, which will help Air New Zealand to evaluate and validate new propulsion technologies. More than 30 aircraft developers responded to a call by the airline in late 2021 for ideas and insights to guide the transition of its short-haul fleet to more sustainable aircraft, with an aim to fly its first commercial demonstrator flight by 2026.

“This isn’t about selecting a new aircraft,” said the airline’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Kiri Hannifin. “It’s about growing our collective understanding to advance a new era of travel.

“Through our partnerships with Airbus and ATR, we’ve been able to deepen our understanding of the impact green hydrogen and battery-hybrid aircraft may have on our network, operations and infrastructure, as well as the opportunities and challenges of flying low and zero-emissions aircraft in New Zealand. Adding Universal Hydrogen, Embraer and Heart Aerospace will broaden our knowledge of the technologies being developed for potential future aircraft.”

The latest partners are developing or considering a range of zero-emission alternatives to current fossil-fuelled regional aircraft. Heart Aerospace is targeting 2028 to introduce into service the ES-30, a battery-electric regional plane, while Embraer is assessing hybrid-electric, fully electric and hydrogen fuel cell concepts for introduction between 2030 and 2035. Universal Hydrogen is developing a dual programme, in which existing aircraft are modified to use capsules of hydrogen fuel, which are transported to airports and loaded directly onto the planes they will power, instead of using fixed refuelling infrastructure.    

The Heart Aerospace ES-30 is designed to deliver flexible range and capacity to meet various regional airline requirements while producing zero emissions. With a standard seating capacity of 30 passengers, Heart says the aircraft will have a fully-electric flight range of 200 kilometres or an extended range of 400 kilometres using a reserve hybrid engine powered by sustainable aviation fuel, and will even stretch to 800 kilometres with 25 passengers. As well as major customers including United Airlines, Mesa Air Group and Air Canada, New Zealand regional operator Sounds Air also plans to introduce the ES-30. “We firmly believe that the collaborative approach is the only way to ensure that we have a sustainable future for aviation,” said Heart’s CCO Simon Newitt.

Arjan Meijer, CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, welcomed his company’s selection by Air New Zealand as a long-term partner in the Mission Next Gen Aircraft programme and said the airline had also agreed to join Embraer’s Energia Advisory Group, a collective of airlines, aircraft lessors, manufacturers and other aviation stakeholders consulting on the development of a new sustainable aircraft model. As well as smaller regional fleets, the Energia project is examining future sustainable aircraft seating up to 50 passengers.

“As the global leader in regional aircraft, Embraer is ideally positioned to bring disruptive technologies to smaller aircraft first,” said Meijer. “Air New Zealand, operator of a large, complex and diverse regional network, is the perfect collaborator, and we’re proud to be part of this initiative. Smaller regional aircraft are going to be the first platforms on which new fuel and propulsion systems can be introduced effectively. Embraer looks forward to contributing to Air New Zealand’s initiative and adding their expertise and requirements to Embraer’s Energia project.”

Universal Hydrogen said its modular strategy sidestepped the need for new refuelling infrastructure at airports, enabled faster fuelling of aircraft and reduced transfer losses throughout the hydrogen delivery chain. “We are pleased that Air New Zealand, one of the largest turboprop fleet operators in the world, has endorsed our hydrogen retrofit solution and infrastructure-light modular fuel delivery system,” said Paul Eremenko, CEO and co-founder of Universal Hydrogen. “We look forward to a fruitful collaboration that will help launch a new golden age of aviation.”

Its selection as a partner in the Air New Zealand programme coincided with Universal’s approval by the US Federal Aviation Administration to operate the first flight of its hydrogen-powered testbed aircraft – a converted Q300, the same type that the airline wants to replace or re-power.  The FAA has granted Universal a special airworthiness certificate in the ‘Experimental’ category, clearing the way for the prototype, dubbed ‘Lightning McClean’, to commence test flights at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lakes, Washington.  

The prototype aircraft has just completed its first taxi tests to assess ground handling qualities and the performance of the megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell powertrain fitted in one of its engine nacelles. This powertrain is in a similar configuration to Universal’s first product, a conversion kit for ATR 72-600 turboprops, a type which Air New Zealand also operates. The Universal Hydrogen powertrain does not use a hybrid-battery system, instead transmitting power directly from hydrogen fuel cells to the electric motor, reducing the weight and lifecycle cost of the powerplant, which the company expects to be certified and in commercial service by 2025.

“We are simultaneously providing a pragmatic, near-term solution for hydrogen infrastructure and delivery, as well as for converting existing passenger aircraft to use this lightweight, safe and true zero-emissions fuel,” said Eremenko.

In December, Air New Zealand announced an initial list of partners for the programme, featuring new regional aircraft concepts representing electric, green hydrogen and hybrid propulsion options. The four partners are electric aircraft manufacturers Eviation and Beta Technologies, hybrid-electric developer VoltAero and Cranfield Aerospace, which is developing hydrogen-hybrid concepts.

With a fleet of 29 ATR 72-600 aircraft, Air New Zealand is the world’s third-largest ATR operator and the two companies say they are “deepening their existing partnership to accelerate aviation decarbonisation”. The aircraft manufacturer has launched a feasibility study on its next-generation ATR ‘EVO’ family concept, a two-engine turboprop that can be powered by 100% SAF and incorporating new propellers and enhanced cabin and systems. ATR aims to launch the programme this year and anticipates entry into service by 2030.

“ATR fully shares Air New Zealand’s ambition to accelerate the transition towards net-zero carbon emissions. Having worked together since 2018 to explore new propulsion technologies and their impact on operations and infrastructure, we are now taking this partnership to the next level,” said Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR’s CEO. “With Mission Next Gen Aircraft, we will be supporting the airline in every step of this challenging adventure in investigating disruptive innovations to turn our commitments into tangible reality.”

Responded Hannifin: “Through our partnerships with Airbus and ATR, we’ve been able to deepen our understanding of the impact green hydrogen and battery hybrid aircraft may have on our network, operations and infrastructure, as well as the opportunities and challenges of flying low and zero emissions aircraft in New Zealand. Working with the world’s leading innovators is critical to addressing the climate crisis.

“These partners were selected because they are taking action now to progress decarbonising the aviation industry.”

Image: Heart Aerospace ES-30

Air New Zealand plans to introduce at least one zero emission aircraft type for commercial service on regional routes by 2026, as it evaluates technologies to replace or decarbonise its 23 Q300 turboprops from 2030. The announcement follows an invitation earlier this year to global aerospace partners for novel propulsion concepts to reduce emissions and operating costs of regional flights in New Zealand. At a briefing in Auckland, and coinciding with the publication of its latest Sustainability Report, the airline said the process attracted 30 official responses, including 22 from start-up companies, and produced 40 new aircraft concepts. Of these, 24% were battery powered, 38% were hydrogen powered and 38% were hybrid solutions. Airbus, a key partner in the Air New Zealand programme, also told the briefing that it saw “strong potential” to develop a hydrogen hub cluster in New Zealand as part of the airline’s shift to zero emission flight, as well as its own Zero-e programme to develop a family of hydrogen-powered planes.

Baden Smith, Air New Zealand’s Centre of Excellence Lead for Fleet Strategy and Delivery, said the novel propulsion programme was part of the airline’s ‘Flight NZ0’ project, and had grown out of the company’s initial search for a Q300 replacement. “There was nothing that was strongly compelling for us,” he said. “But some interesting technology was starting to bubble up.” Rather than commit to an upgraded version of existing aircraft, which could quickly become redundant with the shift to low-or-no emission flight, he said Air New Zealand decided to use the Q300 replacement process as an opportunity to explore new concepts. “This is the first time since the 1960s that this airline has gone out to manufacturers and told them ‘This is what we want. We know what you can build. But this is what we want.’ And we’ve found that being able to develop and operate a zero-emissions aircraft is a possibility.”

Smith said Airbus had been selected by Air New Zealand as a partner on hydrogen technologies, while regional turboprop manufacturer ATR was a partner on hybrid propulsion solutions, and revealed others would be announced in coming weeks. By the end of 2023, “one, maybe two aircraft solutions” would be chosen for introduction by 2026 to evaluate potential replacement technologies. “A technical demonstrator is not what we’re after,” he said. “We want to fly this thing commercially. We recognise how challenging it is – and that it’s almost ridiculous by 2026. But without doing this, we won’t achieve our next decade targets.”

By 2030, the airline wants either a replacement aircraft or a new zero carbon emissions propulsion system to retrofit into its Q300 fleet. It is also exploring the potential to deploy small, zero-emission aircraft on short regional routes and has previously flagged early trials of such planes for tasks such pilot training or freight.

Anand Stanley, VP Asia Pacific for Airbus, said the abundance of renewable energy produced in New Zealand, together with the extensive regional network of Air New Zealand, provided great opportunities to assess how zero-emission aircraft could fit into an airline network. “New Zealand is the ideal test environment,” he said. “Here, 80% of electricity is supplied from renewable sources, and 60% of flights domestically are over distances less than 300 kilometres. We see strong potential to develop a hydrogen hub cluster in New Zealand.”

Air New Zealand’s search for new technology aircraft has five objectives: to reduce carbon emissions from short-haul aircraft, to lower the energy use per flight, to cut noise levels inside and outside aircraft, to lower maintenance costs and to reduce obligations to comply with New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme. Potential solutions range from zero-emission aircraft of up to nine seats to new propulsion systems transplanted into existing aircraft.

To achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the airline will rely on sustainable aviation fuels to halve its flight emissions, targeting 1% SAF use in 2023 and 10% by 2030. Novel propulsion systems such as hydrogen, electric or hybrid engines are expected to reduce emissions by 20%, fleet renewal by a further 20% and operational efficiences by 2%, with residual emissions addressed through other carbon reduction measures.

The airline recently procured 1.2 million litres of SAF to help power some of its internal flights and also to test and help develop a supply chain for imported SAFs while the country assesses the establishment of local production capacity.

Air New Zealand’s CEO, Greg Foran, said urgent action was needed to decarbonise aviation, and his airline wanted to be one of those leading the change. “This is one of those wicked problems that we need to solve,” he said. “You get one point for talking and nine points for doing. We’re past the point of saying ‘We can just talk about this’. We’re now at an inflection point. We need to get on with it.”

Air New Zealand has just released its 2022 Sustainability Report, which states its 2030 interim science-based target was validated in July by the SBTi. The airline commits to reduce well-to-wake GHG emissions related to jet fuel by 28.9% per RTK from owned operations, equivalent to a 16.3% absolute reduction by 2030 from a 2019 base year and gross emissions reductions from 4.7 MtCO2e to 3.9 MtCO2e.

The report was guided by an independent sustainability advisory panel chaired by Sir Jonathon Porritt, founder of the Forum for the Future. In his foreword, he writes: “There can be few people who now doubt that accelerating climate change represents a massive challenge for governments and businesses the world over. But not many yet understand the true nature of this crisis, with disruption from more and more climate-induced disasters becoming ever more deadly – and costly.

“Air New Zealand has recognised this challenge for a long time and is only too aware of the limitations of the technical solutions available to it. In that regard, its most important decarbonisation commitment is to source 10% of its fuel from sustainable aviation fuels by 2030, along the way to its net zero target by 2050.

“There will be some airlines that get really good at this and other climate challenges, and many that don’t. Air New Zealand has made a great start by becoming only the second airline in the world to have its science-based target officially validated back in July, committing to reduce carbon intensity by 28.9% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline.”

Photo: Air New Zealand Q300 at Whangarei District Airport, on New Zealand’s North Island