Dutch airliner KLM has successfully operated the world's first flight using synthetic kerosene, carrying passengers from Amsterdam to Madrid, according to both the Netherlands' government and the airliner.
KLM has performed the world's first flight using synthetic kerosene. Credit: Alec Wilson / Flickr
The aviation industry is one of the leading causes of air pollution and one of the largest users of traditional fossil fuels, leading to movements calling for more sustainable models as governments and private companies set themselves strict climate goals in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Netherlands is one of the world leaders in developing sustainable biofuels and many leading players have set themselves the goal of making the entirety of Europe's airliners carbon-neutral by 2050.
Sustainable fuels could possibly be one of the primary methods of driving an overall reduction in emissions in the sector.
Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management said: "Making aviation more sustainable is an international challenge that we face together. Today we are taking a great step in the new chapter of aviation. This promising innovation will be of great importance in the coming decades to reduce CO2 emissions from aviation.
"It is great that in the Netherlands we were the first to show that this is possible: a big compliment for all involved. I hope that, in these turbulent times for aviation, this will inspire people in the sector to continue on this course."
Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM, said: "The transition from fossil fuel to sustainable alternatives is one of the largest challenges in aviation. Fleet renewal contributed significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, but the upscaling of production and the use of sustainable aviation fuel will make the biggest difference for the current generation of aircraft."
The synthetic kerosene used in the flight was supplied by Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell.
Shell produced 500 litres of the synthetic kerosene in its research centre in Amsterdam based on CO2, water and renewable energy from solar and power generated on Dutch soil.
Marjan van Loon, President and CEO Shell Netherlands, said: "Shell is an active player in the energy transition and our contribution to this world-first is an example of this. I am extremely proud that we have succeeded in producing 500 litres of jet fuel for the first time based on CO2, water and renewable energy. It is an important first step and together with our partners we now need to scale up, accelerate and make it commercially viable."
The project has spawned a number of initiatives across Europe for research and development into sustainable biofuels.
Several European politicians stressed the importance of work such as this at a press conference dedicated to the event.
Various EU member states have expressed interest in developing it further.
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In a joint statement, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Luxembourg and Spain indicated that the pandemic recovery must go hand in hand with an acceleration of the sustainability of the aviation sector in order to achieve climate goals, and the countries called on the European Commission to come up with a European blending obligation.
Bloc members all view the move as essential to emissions reduction on the road to carbon-neutrality.
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