State of the Art on Alternative Fuels in Aviation. SWAFEA. Sustainable Way for Alternative Fuels and Energy in Aviation.

Abstract

Currently, the aviation sector uses petroleum derived liquid fuels as the energy carrier of choice for flight. In light the present environmental, economical and political concerns as to the sustainability of this energy source, the question of which alternatives the aviation sector should pursue in the future has emerged. Among these concerns, the environmental impact of fossil fuel use on global warming and air quality is of major importance, while the impact of volatile oil prices and the need for a sustainable supply of fuel are strong drivers for the economies of fuel users. In this context, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy and Transport has initiated the SWAFEA study to investigate the feasibility and the impact of the use of alternative fuels in aviation. SWAFEA’s goal is to develop a comparative analysis of different energy/fuel options on the basis of an assessment of the available data. It also seeks to create a vision and possible roadmap for future deployments of alternative fuels and, in this regard, SWAFEA will provide policy makers with information and decision elements. This paper summarises the findings from the SWAFEA preliminary state of the art studyii. It covers trends in aspects of future air transport, potential candidate fuels and associated feedstock along with sustainability and economical issues relevant for alternative fuels in aviation