How energy storage will revolutionise aviation

• Aviation looking to storage as a way of boosting its eco-credentials
  
• Storage could help drive aviation revolution with development of air taxis
  
• United Airlines invested in Natron Energy; Amsterdam airport using ESS tech

Aviation is one of the most polluting industries in the world – it’s estimated that the global aviation industry produces around 2.1 per cent of all human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.

Meanwhile, the aviation sector is responsible for 12 per cent of emissions from all transport sources (compared to 74 per cent from road transport).

As a result, many people have found it increasingly difficult to justify taking flights. In one study conducted in Sweden, the number of people choosing to travel by train rather than plane where possible, jumped from 20 per cent to 37 per cent in just one year.

And that was before the pandemic hit. Covid-19 had a devastating impact on aviation – in the year 2020, global aviation passenger numbers dropped by a massive 2.7 billion compared to the previous year, which represented a drop of around 60 per cent.

Is storage best option for industry looking to increase sustainability?

It’s true that aviation passenger numbers increased in 2022, but provisional figures suggest that they are still significantly down on the pre-pandemic totals. According to estimates from the International Civil Aviation Organization, 2022 international passenger traffic was down by around 660 million passengers, or 36 per cent, compared to 2019 levels. This equates to a $124 billion decrease in the gross operating revenues of airlines.

Perhaps equally damaging for the aviation industry was the fact that, during the pandemic, people firstly got used to not flying, and secondly began to increasingly question whether they could justify flying from an environmental perspective. Indeed, a majority of people in some of the largest countries in the world say they are planning to reduce the number of flights they take. For example, data from Statista has shown that 80 per cent of people in China, 70 per cent of people in the US, 67 per cent of people in the UK, and 76 per cent of people in Germany are “aiming to take fewer flights in the future to fight climate change”.

The aviation industry has a battle on its hands to retain customers and it has recognised that one of the best way of fighting this battle is by boosting its green credentials. However, the sector doesn’t have a lot of options when it comes to increasing sustainability, but energy storage is offering a solution.

Amsterdam airport using storage to ‘lead the way’ on decarbonisation

Last week it was announced that long-duration energy storage system manufacturer ESS is to provide an iron flow battery solution to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – the second largest airport in mainland Europe – in the first quarter of this year. ESS’ ‘Energy Warehouse’ system – which has a storage capacity of 400KWh, a 25-year design life and the ability to be configured to provide storage durations of six to 12 hours – will recharge Electric Ground Power Units (E-GPU). E-GPUs are batteries which will replace the diesel ground power units currently used to supply electrical power to aircraft when parked at the airport. 

The ESS link-up with Schiphol demonstrated that the Dutch airport was “leading the way” on the decarbonisation of air travel, claimed ESS’ Europe director Alan Greenshields. Meanwhile, Oscar Maan, Royal Schiphol Group manager of innovation, highlighted that if the pilot was successful it would be a “double win” as it would both reduce the airport’s carbon footprint and reduce air pollution. The pilot will run as part of TULIPS, a consortium funded by the EU – as part of the European Green Deal – that aims to speed up the rollout of sustainable technologies in aviation. TULIPS' objectives are to significantly contribute towards zero emissions and zero waste at the EU’s more than 300 airports by 2030 and bring about “climate-neutral aviation” by 2050.

Batteries could charge electric ‘air taxis’

Other aviation companies have taken their commitment to energy storage a step further.  

In November last year, it was announced that United Airlines had made a strategic equity investment in Natron Energy, a battery manufacturer whose sodium-ion batteries, United said, have the potential to “help United electrify its airport ground equipment like pushback tractors and operations at the gate”. United added that, while it had made substantial investments in companies developing technology to reduce aircraft emissions, Natron was the first that has the potential to “reduce the greenhouse gas footprint from United’s ground operations”.

What was particularly notable was that, in addition to charging electric ground equipment, allowing airport operations to manage electricity demand, and improving resiliency related to inclement weather, United said Natron’s batteries could also be used to charge “anticipated future electric aircraft such as electric air taxis”.

Storage will be key part of air taxi infrastructure

Indeed, batteries could have a significant disruptive effect on the aviation industry in the longer term given the potential for them to be used to power air taxis. A number of companies in the US are currently working on developing air taxis – for example, in October last year, Delta Air Lines became the latest airline to back an electric vehicle start-up with a $60 million investment in Joby Aviation, a company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), which are intended to operate as an air taxi service.

There is considerable confidence that air taxis are going to become a viable form of transport and that, specifically in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration will work to facilitate this type of technology. It’s proposed that eVTOLs will land on rooftops and that will require major construction work and the development of significant charging infrastructure.

Energy storage will constitute a key part of this infrastructure - consequently, the storage sector is set to have a key role in driving the forthcoming aviation industry revolution.