The University of Nottingham in the UK is investing £5.3 million ($6.76 million) in research that could pave the way for net-zero air travel, Interesting Engineering reported.
The new research initiative seeks to develop a new cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system that could set the stage for more sustainable aircraft.
Cryogenic technology is one of the central components of the program — if cooled to extremely low temperatures, hydrogen can be stored in a liquid form with greater energy density, which would help to solve fuel storage issues that currently limit the potential for hydrogen-powered air travel.
"The vision of net-zero air travel is within our sights," said Chris Gerada, professor of electrical machines and the lead for strategic research and innovation initiatives at the University of Nottingham, per Interesting Engineering. "However, to get there, we must push the limits of what is technically possible."
According to one paper, aviation has been responsible for about 4% of the observed rise in global temperatures to date, and it is projected to cause a total of about 0.1 degrees Celsius of warming by 2050. Meanwhile, hydrogen has the potential to reduce aviation's planet-heating pollution by up to 50%, per Airbus.
Greening up the aviation industry is one of many ways we can start to curb the overheating of our planet, which is already threatening humanity in many ways.
For instance, heat waves paired with prolonged droughts have harmed olive crops in the Mediterranean, causing olive oil prices to soar. Meanwhile, prolonged drought in the Amazon led to massive wildfire outbreaks in the Amazon in early 2024.
In addition to hydrogen, scientists are researching a number of other cutting-edge technologies to help reverse aviation's carbon problem. For example, Swiss researchers have created a "solar tower" that pulls carbon pollution and water from the air and then uses the sun's energy to convert them into jet fuel. Plus, one refinery in Georgia plans to produce nine million gallons of alternative fuel each year, sourced from what the company calls "low-carbon intensity" ethanol.
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