The EU has set the target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030, compared to 1990. This will set the EU on its trajectory to climate neutrality by 2050 and net-negative thereafter. A key aspect of this effort is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector, and while most modes of ground transport can shift to clean electricity, others – such as aviation – will continue to require liquid fuels with high energy densities, like kerosene.
Some members of the Negative Emissions Platform engaged with Direct Air Capture (DAC) have developed fuel-production pathways for synthetic aviation fuels from atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen, which are known as Direct Air Capture-fuels (DAC-fuels). These fuels are included in a category known as “synthetic aviation fuels” or “e-kerosene”. They have the potential to lower greenhouse emissions from the aviation sector and should therefore be scaled-up to drive the sector’s decarbonisation.
E-kerosene from atmospheric carbon provides a clear climate benefit because it is zero carbon compatible. The carbon is captured from the atmosphere and therefore doesn’t add to the total amount of carbon in the atmosphere upon combustion. Capturing atmospheric CO2 should thus be the preferred solution for e-kerosene production as this leads to near carbon neutral fuels on a cradle-to-grave life cycle basis. However, the ReFuelEU initiative does not currently provide any incentive for DAC to be used in e-kerosene production. Instead, the Fit for 55 package still favours
CO2 reuse or carbon monoxide (CO) refining from industrial installations which will ultimately add to the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, lead to a lock-in of fossil sources of CO2, and is
therefore only a transitional solution on the pathway to climate neutrality.
We therefore ask for policy signals in the ReFuelEU Aviation proposal to scale up investment in DAC and propose that a share of DAC be mandated within the synthetic aviation fuel sub-target.
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