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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/environment/airbus-plans-hydrogenpowered-carbonneutral-planes-by-2035-can-they-work [ieee.org]

Airbus is now betting heavily on hydrogen as a fuel of the future. It has just unveiled early plans for three "ZEROe" airliners, each using liquid hydrogen to take the place of today's hydrocarbon-based jet-fuel compounds.

"It is really our intent in 15 years to have an entry into service of a hydrogen-powered airliner," says Amanda Simpson, vice president for research and technology at Airbus Americas. Hydrogen, she says, "has the most energy per unit mass of...well, anything. And because it burns with oxygen to [yield] water, it is entirely environmentally friendly."

But is a hydrogen future realistic for commercial aviation? Is it practical from an engineering, environmental, or economic standpoint? Certainly, people at Airbus say they need to decarbonize, and research on battery technology for electric planes has been disappointing. Meanwhile, China, currently the world's largest producer of carbon dioxide, pledged last month to become carbon neutral by 2060. And 175 countries have signed on to the 2015 Paris agreement to fight global warming.

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