Latest news with #ClimateImpulse
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zero-emissions flights will become a reality by 2035, Bertrand Piccard says
My Wildest Prediction is a podcast series from Euronews Business where we dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries. In this episode, Tom Goodwin talks to Bertrand Piccard, Swiss psychiatrist, aviator, and global explorer, about green hydrogen planes and the Climate Impulse project. In 1999, the Swiss psychiatrist and aviator Bertrand Piccard, along with his friend and British pilot Brian Jones, completed the first non-stop balloon flight around the globe. Later in 2016, he achieved another milestone in the history of aviation, completing the first global circumnavigation in a solar-powered electric aeroplane with his partner André Borschberg. This accomplishment demonstrated that it is possible to make aviation greener by using renewable energy to fuel the flight. Piccard's innovative experiments continued, and in 2024 he started Climate Impulse with his friend and fellow explorer Raphaël Dinelli. This time, the goal is to build the first green hydrogen-powered aircraft to complete a non-stop tour of the world. Bertrand Piccard joined My Wildest Prediction to talk about this adventure and share his visionary ideas. 'I envisage the first commercial flight with passengers in a hydrogen-powered aeroplane by 2035,' Piccard told Euronews Business. The Swiss aviator's forecast aims to show it is possible to find solutions to climate problems. In 2023, aviation accounted for 2.5% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Its emissions have been increasing at a faster rate than any other mode of transport. Despite its negative impact on the environment, air transport is key to the European economy as it employs between 1.4-2 million people and contributes more than €110 billion to European GDP. To solve this issue, Piccard advocates for hydrogen, a colourless, highly inflammable gas. Hydrogen exists as a natural product, sometimes created by solar processes or geochemical reactions. Depending on the components driving the reaction, different types of hydrogen can be created. Piccard wants to focus on green hydrogen, which is carbon-free and produced from renewable energies. 'I want to use the purest and cleanest a new business that has to be made, a new industry, we need to create everything from scratch,' he said. Related What do hydrogen-powered trucks and cheese have in common? | Euronews Tech Talks Podcast Scientists are shocked by the discovery of white hydrogen in France: could it be Europe's fuel? In 2023, global hydrogen demand reached 97m tonnes. However, consumption remains centred on refining and the chemical sectors, and the demand is almost entirely covered by hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. Hydrogen for transportation is still being tested and developed, and its application continues to pose questions. Yet, Piccard believes it's crucial to try and look at the problem from a different perspective. 'Each time people think of problems, they think it's difficult. If you say it's a challenge, people will say Wow that's interesting,' the explorer said. The aviator argued that innovators can show a project is possible, but then industries need to invest in it to increase adoption and decrease the price of the new technology. We need the industries because they are the ones who are going to bring us solutions. The Climate Impulse project, unveiled in February 2024, aims to create the world's first green hydrogen-powered aeroplane designed for a non-stop, zero-emission circumnavigation of the globe. The aircraft is currently being built in France, with Syesnqo as its main technological partner. Other key collaborators include the OCP Group in Morocco and the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic. 'We have to be very light and very stiff, but we also have to keep the hydrogen liquid at -253°C in thermal tanks. And this has never been done before,' Piccard explained. So far, the engineers working on the project have succeeded in creating the fuel cell and the wings, but there's one remaining major obstacle. 'The challenge is to have the propulsion chain with the hydrogen cell, electric motors, all working together,' Piccard explained. The flight is expected to take off in 2028 and last nine days. But Bertrand Piccard already has more ideas for its next possible adventure. Learn more on Euronews Business podcast My Wildest Prediction.
Euronews
27-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Zero-emissions flights will become a reality by 2035, Bertrand Piccard says
My Wildest Prediction is a podcast series from Euronews Business where we dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries. In this episode, Tom Goodwin talks to Bertrand Piccard, Swiss psychiatrist, aviator, and global explorer, about green hydrogen planes and the Climate Impulse project. In 1999, the Swiss psychiatrist and aviator Bertrand Piccard, along with his friend and British pilot Brian Jones, completed the first non-stop balloon flight around the globe. Later in 2016, he achieved another milestone in the history of aviation, completing the first global circumnavigation in a solar-powered electric aeroplane with his partner André Borschberg. This accomplishment demonstrated that it is possible to make aviation greener by using renewable energy to fuel the flight. Piccard's innovative experiments continued, and in 2024 he started Climate Impulse with his friend and fellow explorer Raphaël Dinelli. This time, the goal is to build the first green hydrogen-powered aircraft to complete a non-stop tour of the world. Bertrand Piccard joined My Wildest Prediction to talk about this adventure and share his visionary ideas. Hydrogen for mobility 'I envisage the first commercial flight with passengers in a hydrogen-powered aeroplane by 2035,' Piccard told Euronews Business. The Swiss aviator's forecast aims to show it is possible to find solutions to climate problems. In 2023, aviation accounted for 2.5% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Its emissions have been increasing at a faster rate than any other mode of transport. Despite its negative impact on the environment, air transport is key to the European economy as it employs between 1.4-2 million people and contributes more than €110 billion to European GDP. To solve this issue, Piccard advocates for hydrogen, a colourless, highly inflammable gas. Hydrogen exists as a natural product, sometimes created by solar processes or geochemical reactions. Depending on the components driving the reaction, different types of hydrogen can be created. Piccard wants to focus on green hydrogen, which is carbon-free and produced from renewable energies. 'I want to use the purest and cleanest a new business that has to be made, a new industry, we need to create everything from scratch,' he said. In 2023, global hydrogen demand reached 97m tonnes. However, consumption remains centred on refining and the chemical sectors, and the demand is almost entirely covered by hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. Hydrogen for transportation is still being tested and developed, and its application continues to pose questions. Yet, Piccard believes it's crucial to try and look at the problem from a different perspective. 'Each time people think of problems, they think it's difficult. If you say it's a challenge, people will say Wow that's interesting, ' the explorer said. The aviator argued that innovators can show a project is possible, but then industries need to invest in it to increase adoption and decrease the price of the new technology. We need the industries because they are the ones who are going to bring us solutions. Bertrand Piccard Explorer The Climate Impulse project The Climate Impulse project, unveiled in February 2024, aims to create the world's first green hydrogen-powered aeroplane designed for a non-stop, zero-emission circumnavigation of the globe. The aircraft is currently being built in France, with Syesnqo as its main technological partner. Other key collaborators include the OCP Group in Morocco and the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic. 'We have to be very light and very stiff, but we also have to keep the hydrogen liquid at -253°C in thermal tanks. And this has never been done before,' Piccard explained. So far, the engineers working on the project have succeeded in creating the fuel cell and the wings, but there's one remaining major obstacle. 'The challenge is to have the propulsion chain with the hydrogen cell, electric motors, all working together,' Piccard explained. The flight is expected to take off in 2028 and last nine days. But Bertrand Piccard already has more ideas for its next possible adventure.
Euronews
17-02-2025
- Euronews
The European hydrogen-powered plane that will attempt a non-stop flight around the world
From a workshop on France's Atlantic coast, aviation pioneer Bertand Piccard and partners are feverishly ramping up preparations for a flight that could completely change the course of aviation. When Piccard spearheaded a much-hyped flight around the world in a plane powered by sunlight a decade ago, it raised awareness about climate change but held little promise of revolutionising air travel. Now, the 66-year-old Swiss adventurer behind Solar Impulse is aiming higher, in hopes of heading toward greener commercial flight than that of fossil fuel-powered planes today - this time using super-cold liquid hydrogen. Climate Impulse is a project that was started last February to fly a two-seater plane around the globe non-stop over nine days fueled by what's known as green hydrogen. That's hydrogen split out of water molecules using renewable electricity through a process called electrolysis. The Climate Impulse team, whose backers include Airbus and a science incubator called Syensqo (pronounced "science-co") born from Belgian pharmaceuticals company Solvay, presented its first-year progress to journalists this week in Les Sables d'Olonne, an oceanside town better known as host to the Vendee Globe round-the-world sailing race. When is Climate Impulse due to get airborne? First test flights are planned next year, but the grueling round-the-world trip is set for 2028. Made with lightweight composites, the plane is dependent on several untested innovations and is far from a sure bet. Piccard says a major airplane manufacturer wouldn't take on the risk of producing a prototype such as Climate Impulse in case it fails. "It's my job to be a pioneer," he said in an interview. "We have to show it's possible, then it's a big incentive for the others to continue". Even if the project is successful, experts say green hydrogen-powered flight on a commercial scale would be decades away at best. The project has lured tens of millions of euros of investment, and the team of dozens of staffers is growing. The solar-powered plane was a technological feat in 2015, but wasn't scalable, said Climate Impulse engineer and co-pilot Raphael Dinelli. Limited in range, that plane had to make more than a dozen stops on its trip around the world. Climate Impulse is supposed to take off unassisted, fly some 40,000 km (about 25,000 miles) around Earth along the Equator and return to its starting point with no mid-air refueling - and with no stops at all. It's my job to be a pioneer. We have to show it's possible, then it's a big incentive for the others to continue. Bertand Piccard Aviation pioneer How does Climate Impulse fly? The controlled release of liquid hydrogen from ultra-insulated tanks under the airplane's wings produces energy that seeps into the membrane of a fuel cell that powers the plane. "The plane has the wingspan of an Airbus 320: 34 m (about 110 ft). It weighs 5-1/2 tons and it flies at 180 km/h — that means 100 knots at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) altitude," Piccard said on Thursday. One aim is to draw on energy from the "turbulence section" of the atmosphere, which airlines could also use one day to help save fuel, he said. Because it's hydrogen, the only emissions will be water vapor. Still, outside experts caution that the environmental impact of such water-vapor "contrails" remains unknown in a real-world or large-scale scenario. The International Energy Agency says air travel is responsible for about 2 per cent of global emissions of carbon dioxide. Hydrogen has been used in flights for decades but as a gas, not a liquid. Use of liquid hydrogen will take time to scale up. Fossil fuels, which are cheaper and more efficient, still produce most hydrogen today. Many governments want to produce more green hydrogen, but for now, the world can't make enough clean electricity for power needs on land, let alone to generate enough for wide-scale use by planes in the air. What happens next? In the last year, the team has built the cockpit shell, started building the wing spar, and finalized interior components. They include swivel seats, a bunk and a stationary bicycle-like workout system to promote blood circulation for the co-pilots who will be cramped in a small cockpit in low-oxygen conditions over the nine days. The hardest parts await. Tests are planned this year on the fuel cells and propulsion systems, to see if the electric motor, propeller and batteries could work for an initial fully-electric flight phase. The trickiest part is to regulate the flow of liquid hydrogen to ensure efficient consumption over the longest range possible, Dinelli said. Another challenge: the liquid hydrogen must be maintained at -253 degrees Celsius (-423 Fahrenheit), or nearly absolute zero. Construction of a leak-proof tank is essential. Liquid hydrogen is highly flammable, so any seepage could have devastating results. We have not had a 'Tesla moment' in aviation yet. Hydrogen has the potential to be that for aviation, which is why it's worth doing this right. Nikhil Sachdeva Aviation expert, Roland Berger Is there a future for green hydrogen-powered flight? Liquid hydrogen, until now, has perhaps most prominently been known as a propellant to blast rockets into space. Aviation's share of carbon emissions is relatively small, but growing faster than in any other industry because development of electric-powered planes trails far behind electric cars and trucks on the ground. Batteries are heavy in EVs on roads today, and keeping down battery weight in planes will be crucial for electric-powered flight. "We have not had a 'Tesla moment' in aviation yet," said Nikhil Sachdeva, an expert in how the aviation sector can transition to more climate-friendly technologies at consulting firm Roland Berger. "Hydrogen has the potential to be that for aviation, which is why it's worth doing this right". Using super-cold liquid hydrogen is "extraordinarily difficult, and we can barely do it for a few minutes right now. And here we're talking about doing it safely for hours," Sachdeva said. But Solar Impulse faced pessimism too, he added, and Piccard's team has "proven it can do what people would consider impossible".
Morocco World
13-02-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Climate Impulse Celebrates First Anniversary with Major Advances in Green Aviation
Rabat – A year after its launch, Climate Impulse has made significant strides in developing the world's first green hydrogen-powered airplane, designed for a non-stop, nine-day, zero-emission flight around the globe in 2028. During an online conference marking its first anniversary today, key partners, including University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), OCP Group, Syensqo, and Breitling, reflected on the project's achievements and outlined future challenges and opportunities in sustainable aviation. What started as a concept in the minds of Bertrand Piccard and Raphael Dinelli is now becoming a reality, as the cockpit is finished and work on the wings is underway, which brings Climate Impulse closer to takeoff. Piccard, Chairman of Climate Impulse, expressed his excitement over the rapid progress during the conference. A year ago, 'the workshop was empty. Today, it is full with molds, with pieces of the wings, pieces of the fuselage, with 15 people working really hard as pioneers to make it happen.' He noted the importance of teamwork and partnerships in turning this vision into reality, adding, 'We want to be a flagship for a federative, exciting, and positive climate action … to show that solutions exist.' Meanwhile, Dinelli expressed the project's commitment to proving that hydrogen can be a viable solution for aviation's decarbonization. 'We will have to master the safe storage and use of liquid hydrogen to power Climate Impulse over a long period: more than eight days,' he said. Till Zeino-Mahmalat, the project's technical director, echoed this excitement as he pointed out the country's strong renewable energy capacity and OCP's role in decarbonization efforts. 'We are one of the leaders in fertilizers. We have set ourselves a very strong ambition in decarbonizing our own operations and our own products,' he said. OCP aims to achieve carbon neutrality in scopes one and two by 2030 and in scope three by 2040. Zeino-Mahmalat explained that green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as ammonia, play an important role in these efforts. 'Ammonia can be produced from hydrogen. So, combining this huge potential of renewable resources, as we have one of the best regions in the world to produce green hydrogen, with our need to decarbonize our products, this is a great spot where we are on,' he explained. UM6P is playing an important role in advancing the project by contributing cutting-edge research and technological solutions. Representing the university, Professor Lamiae Azizi reiterated the university's commitment to sustainability and innovation. 'For us, this partnership allows us to put our scientific expertise and technological solutions to a pioneering project that aligns with our mission of advancing carbon neutrality across industries and put Morocco in its leader position in renewable renewable energy resources.' AI and automation in green flight She also discussed UM6P's contributions to AI-based autopilot systems and explained how the technology will enhance flight efficiency and safety. 'We see this as an AI autopilot-based system in which we're going to be able to gather a number of information about the flight, the trajectory, and the environment conditions,' she said. 'Our goal is to provide an automated system that detects subtle turbulences and optimizes energy use, anticipating any problems that could put you Climate Impulse experts into problem during the mission.' As Climate Impulse's main technological partner, Syensqo is contributing innovative materials and engineering solutions to enhance aircraft performance and efficiency. CEO Ilham Kadri said with enthusiasm that 'this is not only a technological project; it's a human adventure. Its environmental project is the ultimate flight around the world without emissions.' Kadri outlined Syensqo's role in developing lightweight composite materials, which are essential for reducing the aircraft's energy consumption. 'We lighten objects, be it an airplane, a car, or an e-bike. That's what we do,' she explained. 'If it's mobile, it consumes less fuel, which means less CO2.' She noted that composite materials like carbon fiber-reinforced polymers can be 30 to 50% lighter than traditional metals while maintaining strength and durability. 'It's estimated that a 1% weight reduction using composites can lead to a 0.75% reduction in fuel consumption,' she further explained. Despite remarkable progress, the path to success is challenging since the aviation industry has long been considered difficult to decarbonize. The aviation industry releases several types of gases that contribute to climate change. The main one is carbon dioxide, which comes from burning jet fuel and makes up about 2.5% of global emissions. However, Climate Impulse is looking to prove that change is possible, with Kadri speaking of the significance of the project in reducing aviation's carbon footprint. She pointed out that aviation currently contributes between 4% and 6% to global warming. Read also: UM6P's 'Science Week' to Gather Scientists, Experts to Explore Issues Shaping Tomorrow 'A one-way flight from New York to Tokyo typically emits approximately 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide per passenger,' she explained, adding that reducing or eliminating these emissions would be a major step in mitigating climate change. Over the past year, Climate Impulse has gained international recognition as it presented its vision at major events such as New York Climate Week, COP29 in Baku, and the World Economic Forum in Davos. The project aims to inspire broader adoption of clean energy technologies beyond aviation and advocatie for a future where sustainability and economic prosperity go hand in hand. The aircraft's cockpit shell has been completed, with its design ensuring smooth aerodynamics and advanced communication systems, and the interior has also been finalized. These elements were tested in a full-size wooden model to make sure they are functional and comfortable. The team has also started manufacturing the wing spar, with strength tests planned soon. Meanwhile, the final aircraft design was revealed and a 3D model of the plane was built to test its takeoff, landing, and stability. For Climate Impulse, 2025 and 2026 will be key years for the project. Next year, the team will test the hydrogen fuel cells and propulsion systems using a special test setup to make sure the first 100% electric flight phases run smoothly. Researchers will also explore how this technology can be used in small commercial aircraft carrying up to 20 passengers. Tags: Climate Impulsegreen aviationgreen hydrogen
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Innovators gear up work on ‘green' hydrogen plane with plans for nonstop 9-day trip around Earth
LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France (AP) — When aviation pioneer Bertrand Piccard a decade ago spearheaded a much-hyped flight around the world in a plane powered by sunlight, it raised awareness about climate change but held little promise of revolutionizing air travel. Now, the 66-year-old Swiss adventurer behind Solar Impulse is aiming higher, in hopes of heading toward greener commercial flight, this time using super-cooled liquid hydrogen. From a workshop on France's Atlantic coast, Piccard and his partners are ramping up Climate Impulse, a project started last February to fly a two-seater plane around the globe nonstop over nine days fueled by what's known as green hydrogen. That's hydrogen split out of water molecules using renewable electricity through a process called electrolysis. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The Climate Impulse team, whose backers include Airbus and a science incubator called Syensqo (pronounced 'science-co') born from Belgian pharmaceuticals company Solvay, presented its first-year progress to reporters Thursday in Les Sables d'Olonne, an oceanside town better known as host to the Vendee Globe round-the-world sailing race. When will Climate Impulse get off the ground? First test flights are planned next year, but the grueling round-the-world trip is set for 2028. Made with lightweight composites, the plane is dependent on several untested innovations and is far from a sure bet. Piccard says a major airplane manufacturer wouldn't take on the risk of producing a prototype such as Climate Impulse in case it fails. 'It's my job to be a pioneer," he said in an interview. 'We have to show it's possible, then it's a big incentive for the others to continue.' Even if the project is successful, experts say green hydrogen-powered flight on a commercial scale would be decades away at best. The project has lured tens of millions of euros (dollars) of investment, and the team of dozens of staffers is growing. The solar-powered plane a decade ago was a technological feat, but wasn't scalable, said Raphael Dinelli, the Climate Impulse engineer and co-pilot. To accommodate 100 passengers, a souped-up Solar Impulse version would need solar-paneled wings with a span up to 300 meters, he said. Limited in range, the plane flown in 2015 also made 14 stops during its globe-circling trip. The goal for Climate Impulse is to take off unassisted, fly some 40,000 kilometers (about 25,000 miles) around Earth along the Equator at a gentle speed of about 200 kilometers per hour (125 mph), and return to its starting point with no mid-air refueling — and with no stops at all. How is Climate Impulse supposed to fly? The controlled release of liquid hydrogen from ultra-insulated tanks under the airplane's wings causes it to heat into a gas, a bit like how pressurized water vapor powered 19th-century steam engines. But instead of a mechanical operation in a steam engine, energy from the hydrogen evaporation seeps into the membrane of a fuel cell that powers the plane. Because it's hydrogen, the only emissions will be water vapor. Still, outside experts caution that the environmental impact of such water-vapor 'contrails' remains unknown in a real-world or large-scale scenario. Many minds have been looking at alternatives to carbon-based fuels to clean up air travel, which the International Energy Agency says is responsible for about 2% of global emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Hydrogen has been used in flights for decades but as a gas, not a liquid. Use of liquid hydrogen will take time to scale up. Fossil fuels, which are cheaper and more efficient, still produce most hydrogen today. Many governments want to produce more green hydrogen, but for now, the world can't make enough clean electricity for power needs on land, let alone to generate enough for wide-scale use by planes in the air. What's progress like so far, and what's next? In the last year, the team has built the cockpit shell, started building the wing spar, and finalized interior components. They include swivel seats, a bunk and a stationary bicycle-like workout system to promote blood circulation for the two co-pilots who will be cramped in a small plane in low-oxygen conditions over nine days. The hardest parts await. Tests are planned this year on the fuel cells and propulsion systems, to see if the electric motor, propeller and batteries could work for an initial fully-electric flight phase. The trickiest part is to regulate the flow of liquid hydrogen to ensure efficient consumption over the longest range possible, Dinelli said. Another challenge: the liquid hydrogen must be maintained at minus 253 degrees Celsius (minus 423 Fahrenheit), or nearly absolute zero. Construction of a leak-proof tank is essential. Liquid hydrogen is highly flammable, so any seepage could have devastating results. What are the prospects for green hydrogen in flight? Liquid hydrogen, until now, has perhaps most prominently been known as a propellant to blast rockets into space. Airbus calls hydrogen an important 'pathway' in its aim to get low-carbon commercial planes to the market by 2035, and cites estimates that hydrogen could cut carbon dioxide emissions from aviation by half. Powering planes by electricity is far behind the adoption of electric vehicles on the ground, says one outside expert. 'We have not had a 'Tesla moment' in aviation yet,' said Nikhil Sachdeva, a principal at consulting firm Roland Berger who has no connection to the project. 'Hydrogen has the potential to be that for aviation, which is why it's worth doing this right.' The weight of batteries, important for electric vehicles on the ground, is even more important in aviation. Plus, using super-cold liquid hydrogen is 'extraordinarily difficult, and we can barely do it for a few minutes right now. And here we're talking about doing it safely for hours," Sachdeva said. ___ Keaten reported from Lausanne, Switzerland. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
