How Swedavia and the aviation industry work to achieve fossil-free aviation
We are at the beginning of a transition to a new phase in the development of the aviation industry. Many stakeholders are involved and we are all working together to achieve fossil-free aviation.
Färdplan för fossilfri konkurrenskraft
Den svenska flygbranschen har tillsammans med regeringsinitiativet Fossilfritt Sverige tagit fram en färdplan som visar hur inrikesflyget ska bli fossilfritt till 2030 och hur allt flyg som startar vid svenska flygplatser (in- och utrikes) ska bli fossilfritt till 2045. Det är i linje med svenska regeringens klimatmål men samtidigt ambitiösare än både europeiska och globala klimatmål för luftfarten. Vägen dit går primärt genom energieffektivisering, förnybara flygbränslen, vätgas- och elektrifiering.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), electricity and hydrogen
Today’s aircraft can already fly on biofuels, but there is also intensive research and development underway to create electric and hybrid aircraft. Today, work is underway to develop electric aircraft with around 30 seats and a range of 200 kilometers on battery power alone, as well as 400 kilometers in so-called hybrid operation. About one third of all domestic flights in Sweden and half of domestic flights in Norway are on routes that are 400 kilometers or less. With hybrid solutions and new technologies such as hydrogen, it will be possible to fly even longer distances. In the long term, we will likely see a combination, where electric and hybrid aircraft will mainly be used for shorter distances, hydrogen aircraft will be the used for medium distances and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will power longer flights.
Examples of what Swedavia is doing to drive the development of fossil-free aviation:
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
- Swedavia is working actively to promote the transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and has set a goal that five per cent of all fuel used for refuelling at Swedish airports will be fossil-free by 2025.
- Swedavia conducts an annual procurement of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
- We purchase SAF at an amount that offsets the fuel used in the company’s own business travel.
- We encourage companies/organisations to join our procurement.
- We offer all airlines a SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) incentive programme. Swedavia covers the additional cost for all airlines that refuel with SAF at our airports.
- We inform travelers that they can choose to purchase SAF through their airline or through our partner Fly Green Fund.
Electric aviation
- Swedavia encourages and participates in initiatives and pilot projects for testing electric aircraft.
- We create the basis for forecasts/scenarios for the development of electric aviation and identify potential markets.
- We plan and prepare infrastructure for commercial electric aviation.
- We are reviewing business models for electric aviation, especially for charging infrastructure.
- Swedavia contributes and develops insights and knowledge about the future of the aviation industry.
- We are exploring the potential to use airports as energy hubs to help meet the energy needs of the future.
Hydrogen
- Swedavia is creating the basis for forecasts/scenarios for the potential of hydrogen-powered aviation.
- Together with our partners, we are exploring the hydrogen ecosystem in Sweden - from production to potential use at our airports.
- We are investigating and preparing infrastructure for commercial hydrogen aviation at our airports.
- We are exploring the potential to use our airports as energy hubs in order to help meet the energy needs of the future. We are investigating whether we can produce hydrogen at the airport.
Swedavia is participating in various constellations at both the international and Nordic levelin partnerships for electric and hydrogen aviation. Below are links to more informationabout some of the important future projects we are involved in:
Hydrogen storage and handling
Swedavia is participating in the Baltic Sea Region Hydrogen Airport project.
The EU-funded Baltic Sea Region Hydrogen Airport project brings together stakeholders from around the Baltic region. The project aims to prepare airports for the storage, handling and delivery of hydrogen as a future energy source for aviation. The project aims to evaluate options and will also look at different concepts for the implementation of hydrogen fuel.
Hydrogen-powered aircraft in Sweden and Norway
Swedavia is part of a feasibility study on hydrogen-powered aviation in Sweden and Norway.
Together with Airbus, Avinor, SAS, Vattenfall and Statkraft, Swedavia is conducting a feasibility study on hydrogen to develop a framework and review the conditions for the potential roll-out of hydrogen-powered aircraft in Sweden and Norway.
Read more about the hydrogen powered aviation feasibility study.
Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA)
Swedavia is part of the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA) platform.
NEA is a platform that brings together Nordic operators in the aviation industry. Here we work together on issues such as standards for electric aviation infrastructure, business models for connecting regions, infrastructure based on Nordic value relationships, etc.
Electric aviation in Sweden
Swedavia is participating in the ELISE 3 project.
The Vinnova project ELISE brings together operators in the aviation industry and tech sector with airlines and airports to develop the infrastructure and industry for electric aviation. The current project aims to create a full-scale demonstrator to test the taxiing and charging of the ES-30 electric aircraft, which has been developed by the Swedish company Heart Aerospace.
More projects
Swedavia also participates in a number of other projects such as Air-Charge, a project investigating how electric aircraft can be charged at airports. We are also part of the FAACE project, which focuses on future charging infrastructure. In addition to these projects, we are also participating in Electric Aviation in Sweden (ELFLYSWE), which is a broad project where different actors from the industry come together around different aspects, such as modeling of electric aviation technologies, investigating the impact on airspace and solutions for energy supply and infrastructure at airports.