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The quest to discover a sustainable alternative to aviation fuel could provide fresh possibilities for Scotland’s carbon capture and green hydrogen sectors, states Neil Kermode, Managing Director of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
This article derives from a presentation Neil delivered to the Scottish Power Forum on 24 October 2024.
Scotland finds itself at a crucial juncture in its energy transformation, with hydrogen widely hailed as a fundamental component of forthcoming decarbonization strategies.
There is no question that green hydrogen will have a role to fill – in industry and in decarbonizing those ‘hard to decarbonize’ sectors of the economy – but it is not a panacea for all issues.
It cannot be easily transported or stored, and it lacks the density of liquid fuels that certain end users demand – like aviation.
Nevertheless, with the proper processes, green hydrogen can be combined with CO2 to create a synthetic aviation fuel that is indistinguishable from the original.
This novel green fuel is extremely valuable as it is energy-rich, can be comparatively easily transported, and requires minimal alterations to engine and refueling infrastructure – presenting a significant opportunity for Scotland.
This is not theoretical. It has already been accomplished in Orkney, and the fuel has been utilized by the RAF in a Guinness world-record flight.
Developing a zero-fossil carbon aviation fuel is a significant goal for industrial nations – and locally produced synthetic fuels can provide a genuine green alternative that leverages Scotland’s strengths, both in the production of green hydrogen and in utilizing CO2.
We are experts in both.
In Orkney, we have a long-standing tradition of innovation. We were home to the UK’s inaugural onshore wind turbine and more recently to groundbreaking wave and tidal energy projects.
However, as an island, we have historically lacked the grid infrastructure that would allow us to export the green electricity we generate, leading us to develop solutions – including green hydrogen.
Orkney has been at the forefront of green hydrogen development – with our initial production utilizing tidal energy in 2017 – and this early engagement has allowed us to explore where this ‘wonder fuel’ can be most effectively applied.
In the years that followed, we have spearheaded numerous green hydrogen initiatives – such as ‘Surf ‘n’ Turf’ to harness wind and tidal energy for hydrogen production, Hyspirits – investigating the feasibility of hydrogen for distilling, and HyDIME – using hydrogen as fuel in marine transport.
Among these, the most promising has been in the production of synthetic fuel for aviation.
In 2021, EMEC assisted IGTL Technology Limited with Zero Petroleum in showcasing the creation of synthetic hydrocarbon fuel for use in the aviation sector on behalf of the Royal Air Force.
A synthetic fuel demonstration facility was temporarily established onshore at EMEC’s Billia Croo wave energy testing site. The facility utilized hydrogen produced by EMEC from water through electrolysis as feedstock.
The synthetic fuel produced by Zero Petroleum at EMEC’s site was subsequently used by the Royal Air Force in a demonstration flight as part of their Mission MARTIN, achieving the Guinness World Records title of the first aircraft powered by synthetic fuel.
Importantly, in the laboratory tests, the fuel was indistinguishable from conventional fossil fuel, and in flight, its performance was equal.
Of course, mass production of synthetic aviation fuel would require significant scaling up, but it plays to Scotland’s advantages – we have an abundant wind resource with gigawatts expected to come online in the decades ahead, yet we have a grid infrastructure that may struggle to transport that electricity to where it is needed.
The creation of green hydrogen – in locations like Orkney – is a workable alternative. However, once again, there is no straightforward or economical method to transport the fuel to the industrial hubs in the south.
It, therefore, makes sense to utilize that valuable feedstock and combine it with CO2 to produce a highly prized fuel that can be transported more conveniently.
From there, it’s not a significant leap to envision repurposing some of Scotland’s existing oil and gas infrastructure – such as the Flotta Oil Terminal – for the production of sustainable synthetic aviation fuel.
None of the pathways to a fossil-free future are simple or easy, but synthetic fuel aligns with Scotland’s strengths and is an approach that I believe we should pursue.
