Hardware Podcasts

A bumpy ride toward decarbonizing aviation

Catalyst · 2 Dec 2021 · 50m

What this episode covers

Dan Rutherford, Director of Aviation and Maritime Programs at the International Council on Clean Transportation, evaluates the decarbonization pathways for aviation, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), hydrogen, and electrification. He explains that while SAFs are the most viable near-term solution, they face high costs and limited supply, whereas hydrogen and electric aircraft face significant physical constraints regarding energy density and storage volume. Rutherford argues that SAFs will dominate through 2040, with hydrogen potentially playing a larger role in regional flights after 2035, while electric aviation remains limited to very short-range commuter flights due to battery mass penalties.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Airbus, Boeing, ZeroAvia, Energy Hub, Atmos Financial, Whisk, Boom Supersonic
Products
Google Flights, Kayak

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