Air transport

Air transport, which is increasing constantly, currently accounts for 2 to 3% of global CO₂ emissions. With traffic predicted to almost double between now and 2020, Acare has set some ambitious targets for the same period: - 50% CO₂ emissions per passenger kilometer and - 80% NOx in comparison with 2000.

IFP Energies nouvelles is helping to meet this challenge through its work on alternative powertrains (piston engines, hybridization, etc.), combustion and low-carbon fuels.

In the field of alternative fuels research is focusing in the short and medium term on paraffin kerosene fuels produced by hydrotreatment of plant oils, as well as kerosenes obtained by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
This is the objective of the VeganTM process, marketed by Axens in 2010, which is used to produce very high-quality gas oil and kerosene bases from a broad spectrum of renewable feeds: non food-grade vegetable oils, animal fats, etc. In the long term, new substances (heavy alcohols, furan derivatives, naphthene derived from biomass liquefaction, etc.) and fuels produced from algae oils are being considered.

For the time being, a number of flights have already been made using alternative fuels. An A380 made a flight in February 2008, for example, using a mixture composed of 50% kerosene and 50% of a synthetic fuel derived from natural gas (GtL technology). In 2009, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737-800 tested a fuel containing 50% jatropha and algae oils.
However, the widespread deployment of alternative fuels is hampered by the very specific constraints in the aviation sector (safety, logistics, temperatures, etc.) and also with the enormous quantities required to replace kerosene. The European Union has set a 10% target for the use of green kerosene by 2020, hence the importance of the concept of drop-in fuel that can be incorporated in any proportions in a standard aircraft engine without disrupting its properties.

IFP Energies nouvelles conducts its research in partnership with the main aviation sector players (Airbus, Dassault, EADS, Onera, Snecma, etc.) as part of joint projects, such as:

• CALIN, an FUI project led by Airbus, in which IFP Energies nouvelles is studying the thermal stability of biofuels. In September 2010, the project was awarded a prize by the Aerospace Valley competitiveness cluster in the “Sustainable Development” category,
   
• ALFA-BIRD, a European project within which IFP Energies nouvelles is evaluating the formulation of new fuels and their impact on the operation of aircraft engines,
   
• SWAFEA, a European project that aims to propose a roadmap for the medium-term deployment of alternative fuels.
   

+ List of european projects

+ Industrial development > Fuels for the aviation industry