Marjan Rintel: still a lot of innovation needed for CO2-neutral flying


“It’s important to do what you are able to do now,” says Rintel, who factors out that these kind of buy offers enable firms akin to Neste to make investments and have a view of the return on funding. However far more is required to fulfill our personal sustainability objectives. And a part of the required expertise isn’t but accessible or not but relevant on a big scale. Nonetheless, Rintel firmly believes in innovation. “We wish to be a sustainable airline, however there’s all the time a component that you’re not positive of. And if investments are made now, issues can go in a short time. You want such an acceleration.”

Cooking oil and frying fats
The SAF that Neste shall be making on the Maasvlakte from this yr is principally based mostly on used cooking oil, frying fats and animal fat. However that’s merely not sufficient to assist aviation in the long run. “We’ll produce sufficient this yr to fulfill the European mixing obligation of two % in 2025,” stated Jonathan Wooden, who’s liable for sustainable aviation fuels on the Finnish firm. “And we can even make it if kerosene has to encompass 6 % SAF in 2030,” expects Wooden. However after that, different sources have to be tapped.

For this, researchers are taking a look at algae and different plant stays, for instance. But additionally to a method referred to as Energy to Liquid (PtL). CO2 is faraway from the air and gas can then be made by way of a response with hydrogen. The PtL method isn’t but attainable on a big scale. “Methods nonetheless must be additional developed and scaled up,” Wooden explains. “And it takes much more power than the expertise we use now.

So regardless of the steps Air France-KLM is taking, with stricter targets than these for the EU, there’s nonetheless a number of uncertainty. As a result of the aviation group doesn’t but absolutely know the way it will obtain the objectives for 2030, not to mention these for 2050. Rintel due to this fact insists on the issues which are already taking place and that may make a distinction. Reminiscent of the acquisition of extra fuel-efficient plane and the addition of SAF. And that whereas the stability have to be sought between the upper worth for the gas and the worth for a ticket.

Enterprise vacationers
That worth “won’t ever be as little as it was,” says Rintel. However enterprise vacationers are far more typically keen to pay extra. “Massive firms have environmental objectives and wish us to make use of SAF. That helps, as a result of it in the end permits us to buy bigger portions of sustainable gas and, for instance, Neste can spend money on new factories. It’s a chain.”