Aviation Sustainability and the Environment, CAPA 23-Apr-2020
Etihad Airways continues to progress sustainability agenda to cut carbon emissions
Airbus warns against adding environmental taxes, calls for support to modernise fleets
Changchun Airport receives approval for emissions reduction project
Seattle-Tacoma Airport aims to cut CO2 emissions by 50% through new natural gas contract
Govt looking at linking Austrian Airlines state aid to environmental protection conditions
This CAPA report features a summary of recent aviation sustainability and environment news, selected from the 300+ news alerts published daily by CAPA. For more information, please contact us.
Etihad Airways continues to progress sustainability agenda to cut carbon emissions
Etihad Airways announced (22-Apr-2020) it has continued to progress its sustainability agenda, testing a range of initiatives during the wind down and suspension of scheduled passenger services in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Details include:
- In 2020, Etihad has worked with Boeing, GE Aviation, EUROCONTROL and others to test and implement measures to reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and noise;
- The delivery flight for the carrier's signature 787 Greenliner aircraft was fuelled by a 30% blend of sustainable aviation fuel, refined from agricultural waste. Boeing engineers used the delivery flight to research new fuel efficiency measures, based on real time data from the aircraft, to maximise efficiency and minimise emissions by providing customised data to the pilots;
- Etihad's signature Greenliner aircraft recently operated an optimised roundtrip between Abu Dhabi and Dublin, reducing the usual journey time by 40 minutes, cutting fuel consumption by 800 kilograms and reducing carbon emissions by three tonnes over a standard 787 flight on that route;
- Etihad has implemented other sustainability measures, including the use of data to determine the optimal volumes of potable water for aircraft toilets and washrooms, and taxi fuel to power the aircraft on the ground. By customising volumes of both, the airline is reducing the weight of aircraft on many routes, helping to reduce fuel burn and emissions;
- During the grounding of its scheduled passenger flights, the carrier has been testing single engine taxi in of 787 aircraft without using the aircraft's auxiliary power unit. [more - original PR]
Original report: Etihad continues to progress sustainable initiatives to help cut carbon emissions
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has continued to progress its sustainability agenda, testing a range of initiatives during the wind-down and suspension of its scheduled passenger services in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline has highlighted some of its continuing activities in a new video released today to mark Earth Day 2020
Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “In these challenging times, and beyond Covid-19, our response to the climate change crisis will not be neglected. Earlier this year, we pledged a target of net zero emissions by 2050, and to halve our 2019 net emission levels by 2035. Through the Etihad Greenliner Programme, we remain committed to reducing our impact on the environment, in collaboration with partners across the aviation industry.”
This year, Etihad has worked with Boeing, GE Aviation, EuroControl and others to test and implement measures to reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and noise.
When it was delivered from Boeing’s North Carolina assembly plant, the signature aircraft of the Etihad Greenliner Programme – a ‘green-themed’ Boeing 787 - was fuelled with a 30 per cent blend of sustainable aviation fuel, refined from agricultural waste.
Boeing engineers used the delivery flight to research new fuel efficiency measures, based on real time data from the aircraft, to maximise efficiency and minimise emissions by providing customised data to the pilots.
Recently, on Ireland’s national day, the signature Etihad Greenliner operated an optimised roundtrip flight between Abu Dhabi and Dublin, reducing the usual journey time by 40 minutes, cutting fuel consumption by 800 kilograms and reducing carbon emissions by three tonnes over a standard Boeing 787 flight on that route.
The sustainable performance of this Boeing 787 flight was also measured against the same flight one year prior, which was operated with a less efficient aircraft type. Compared to the 2019 flight, the 2020 service operated with eight tonnes less fuel and a staggering 26 tonne reduction in carbon emissions.
Etihad has also implemented a range of other sustainability measures, including the use of data to determine the optimal volumes of potable water for aircraft toilets and washrooms, and ‘taxi fuel’ to power the aircraft on the ground. By customising volumes of both, the airline is reducing significantly the weight of aircraft on many routes, helping to reduce fuel burn and emissions.
During the grounding of its scheduled passenger flights, Etihad has also been testing single-engine taxi-in of Boeing 787 aircraft without using the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU), again with more sustainable outcomes.
Airbus warns against adding environmental taxes, calls for support to modernise fleets
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury cautioned against governments adding more taxes on airlines to control emissions, suggesting instead that governments introduce support programmes to encourage airlines to conduct "climate friendly conversion of their fleets" (Reuters, 17-Apr-2020).
Changchun Airport receives approval for emissions reduction project
CAAC approved (22-Apr-2020) Changchun Longjia International Airport's energy saving and emissions reduction project. The project includes provisions for installing energy efficient power supply equipment and deploying alternative energy powered vehicles at the airport. [more - original PR - Chinese]
Original report: 长春龙嘉国际机场节能减排项目初步设计获正式批复
长春龙嘉国际机场节能减排项目初步设计获正式批复
本网讯（吉林机场集团：刘医、王强报道） 4月16日，长春龙嘉国际机场节能减排项目初步设计获得民航东北地区管理局和吉林省发展改革委联合批复。初步设计的批复标志着长春机场节能减排项目前期审批工作已进入尾声，为项目的全面施工和决战决胜蓝天保卫战提供了重要的指导和依据。
据悉，长春龙嘉国际机场节能减排项目是为贯彻落实民航局“打赢蓝天保卫战”工作要求而推出的重要举措之一，经全力协调民航东北地区管理局和吉林省发展改革委，长春机场节能减排项目是东北地区第一个评审并且第一个获得“打赢蓝天保卫战”节能减排初步设计批复的项目，是东北地区唯一在民航局要求时限内完成批复的项目，也是唯一一个按上限金额申请民航发展基金的项目。
按照批复内容，长春机场将加大蓝天保卫战工程及设备采购的资金投入力度，在车辆购置方面，拟购置19辆新能源车辆，其中新能源轿车10辆，特种车4辆，中巴车3辆、SUV2辆。APU替代设施方面，长春机场计划购置400Hz电源8套，开展T1航站楼空调源头侧、末端侧设备改造；A18与A19远机位增设飞机地面空调及400Hz电源2套，并建设设备计量监控与管理系统。充电设施方面，新建充电桩配电箱17套，直流充电终端95套，充电枪电缆190套，充电桩集群控制系统1套。
2020年是民航打赢蓝天保卫战的收官年，也是长春机场决战决胜蓝天保卫战的关键年。长春机场将继续坚定不移地走好绿色民航的发展之路，将责任再压实、工作再细化，有序推进节能减排项目工作部署，打好打赢蓝天保卫战。
Seattle-Tacoma Airport aims to cut CO2 emissions by 50% through new natural gas contract
Port of Seattle Commission approved (15-Apr-2020) a USD23 million contract that aims to reduce CO2 emissions at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by 50% by 2030, close to a decade earlier than scheduled. The contract includes the purchase of natural gas to be used to power and heat the airport's terminal and ground transportation fleet. [more - original PR]
Original report: Port of Seattle to Halve Carbon Emissions with Renewable Fuel Contract
Commission also approves pilot study to measure carbon sequestration in Elliot Bay
The Port of Seattle Commission approved a contract to enable the Port to reach its 2030 goal to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent, almost a decade early.
This long-sought major milestone, voted on at the Commission meeting on April 14, 2020 (Agenda item 8a), results from an authorization for a 10-year supply contract with U.S. Gain for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), a low-carbon natural gas alternative produced most often from landfill waste. RNG produces no new carbon emissions because it replaces fossil fuels and recycles existing carbon in the atmosphere.
The $23 million contract allows the Port to purchase enough fuel to heat 55 percent of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) terminal and to power 100 percent of its bus fleet to reach its 50 percent port-wide carbon reduction goal. SEA will be the first airport in the country to utilize RNG for heating.
Govt looking at linking Austrian Airlines state aid to environmental protection conditions
Austria's Minister for the Environment Leonore Gewessler said "it makes a lot of sense" to tie potential coronavirus-related state aid for Austrian Airlines to environmental protection conditions (Reuters, 16-Apr-2020). "If we are talking about several hundred million euros in taxpayers' money, then it is clear, that [aid] will be linked to conditions", she continued.