[00:00.00]European manufacturer Airbus has announced a delay in its development efforts of a hydrogen-powered aircraft.
[00:12.33]The company explained that progress on the project has been slower and more complex than expected.
[00:22.43]Airbus had set a goal to make a zero-emission airplane by 2035.
[00:30.80]The company has not announced a new target date for the plane's production.
[00:38.79]But the French union Force Ouvrière said some of its aircraft workers were recently told the technology was running five to 10 years behind, Reuters news agency reported.
[00:56.84]The French news agency AFP reported Airbus also said it had reduced the program's budget by 25 percent, but was still examining ways to reduce emissions.
[01:14.24]"Our ambition and roadmap towards decarbonizing. . .remain unchanged," an Airbus spokesman told AFP.
[01:25.44]In September 2020, Airbus presented three hydrogen-fueled airplane designs, called ZEROe, as part of its efforts to decarbonize.
[01:40.35]Other airplane manufacturers, however, have centered more on renewable fuels or developing electric-powered planes for short-distance flights.
[01:54.27]Airbus noted it has no plans to completely stop developing hydrogen-powered aircraft technology.
[02:04.02]The company said it sees hydrogen as "a revolutionary energy source for aviation."
[02:13.51]However, Airbus said in a statement to Reuters it recognizes that developing systems to produce, transport, and store hydrogen represent "a huge challenge requiring global collaboration and investment."
[02:34.75]Hydrogen motors do not release gases that can warm the earth's atmosphere. Instead, they release water.
[02:46.25]However, much of the hydrogen used for fuel is produced using natural gas or coal.
[02:55.55]Both of these production methods often release carbon dioxide gas, which can warm the atmosphere.
[03:04.78]Running renewable electricity through water can produce hydrogen without adding to carbon emissions.
[03:13.96]However, this process is generally more costly. Transporting and storing hydrogen also present problems.
[03:25.04]As a gas at room temperature, hydrogen takes up a very large space.
[03:33.14]This makes it impossible to use as fuel. It first needs to be turned into a liquid to be transported or stored.
[03:44.13]And it needs to be cooled to -253° Celsius to be liquefied.
[03:53.81]This cooling process requires its own source of energy.
[03:59.65]Liquified hydrogen still takes up four times the space of jet fuel.
[04:06.11]The airline industry trade association IATA believes aviation will reach most of its reduction in emissions by using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
[04:23.69]It believes other technologies, like hydrogen, will take longer to develop.
[04:32.06]SAF uses food and plant waste from cities, agricultural and forest wastes, and other non-petroleum sources.
[04:43.96]This fuel is then added to jet fuel in mixtures of 10 to 50 percent to become SAF.
[04:54.09]Airbus says it agrees that SAF can also play an important part in reducing emissions, particularly for medium and long-distance flights.
[05:09.70]I'm Andrew Smith.
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Words in This Story
emission -n. a release of gas
ambition -n. a strong desire to achieve a goal
roadmap -n. a plan of action to achieve a goal
renewable -adj. describing resources such as wind, water, and sunlight which are always available
challenge -n. a difficult thing to do or difficult goal to reach
collaboration -n. working well with other people
sustainable -adj. describing resources that can be used again without increasing pollution
petroleum -n. oil found under the surface of the earth or sea.
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