Germany Is Spending €2 Billion to Discover the Real Price of Clean Jet Fuel

AI Summary

Germany is committing €2 billion to assess the cost and scalability of sustainable aviation fuels as airlines seek lower-emission options. The article notes that electric aircraft may serve short regional routes, while liquid fuels are expected to remain important for long-haul flying.

Electric aviation is advancing faster than many critics expected. Batteries will not remain confined to tiny experimental aircraft, and short regional routes are a credible early market. But electric aircraft will not replace every jet. Long-haul aviation requires enormous energy at very low weight. Even with better batteries and airframes, liquid fuels will retain a large role for decades. The question is therefore which sustainable aviation fuels can reach scale at a price airlines can eventually afford. Germany has now designed a €2-billion…