Swedish Aerospace: Technology is Sweden's leading contribution to the climate change issue

Aviation's impact on climate has been much debated in recent times. Jacob Wallenberg, Investor's chairman, said recently in a DN interview that he thinks that it is unfortunate that the flight is made to the main klimatboven. He received criticism from the environmental protection agency, which said that fossil-fuel-free aircraft barely even exist on the drawing board.

From the aviation industry hold the view that the issue of zero carbon flight is not discussed enough balanced.

– All commercial aircraft can already be flown on 100 percent fossil-free fuels. The problem is that it is not produced enough and they are too expensive, " says Niklas Nordström, chairman of the Swedish Air transport and the social democratic mayor of Luleå DN.

the airline industry has made progress.

Saab and Boeing have shown that it is possible to fly at a hundred per cent zero carbon fuel. Where the increased performance of the engine and the fuel consumption decreased by four per cent. Studies from Nasa show that a high biobränslenivå leads to a reduction of the höghöjdseffekterna.

But there are major disadvantages with biofuels. It says Stefan Wirsenius, phd in environmental science at Chalmers university of technology.

Biofuels produced from by-products, such as tall oil and slaughterhouse waste, can have low emissions. But these amounts are small compared with the total use of transport fuels, " he says.

biofuels, which he mentions is deforestation.

– the Production requires large areas of land, which usually houses the forest as natural vegetation, and to cultivate oil palm, canola or other crops for production of biofuels, it is required that the forest must be removed. It is causing huge carbon emissions, " says Wirsenius.

”the Production of biodrevmedel requires the removal of the land, which, in turn, causes large carbon dioxide emissions,” says Stefan Wirsenius, phd in environmental science at Chalmers university of technology. Photo: Johan Bodell.

Niklas Nordström believes that you should fly consciously, choose companies with a young fleet set requirements that companies buy biofuels.

– If this is in demand will give the airlines that are best-in-class competitive advantage, which contributes to accelerate the transformation in the right direction, " he says.

" It's a difficult question. We fly all of the infinitely many reasons. And we are a small country with limited opportunities to be able to take us out into the world. Our economy is also dependent on the mobility that is made possible by, among other things the flight, " says Nordström.

His conviction is that technology is the way forward. And that Sweden can reduce more emissions in this way, rather than to stop flying.

– It is possible that we have previously chosen to avoid the debate rather than to show what we are doing to solve the problems. Unfortunately, we often of the attitude that we want to have a free pass to continued emissions. But just as little as for any other industry is emissions an end in itself for us. Exactly why is it so important to emphasize that already today we could be fossil-free without replacing a single aircraft.

the airline industry points out that new technologies such as bio-fuels and engine technology is a step in the right direction. Photo: Matthias Schrader

It klimatsmartaste option for the aviation industry, according to Stefan Wirsenius electric drive.

– It is already available for passenger cars and light trucks, and hopefully there are even heavy-duty trucks soon. Even hydrogen made from electricity and water are a possibility, " he says.

the focus on biodivmedel increases carbon dioxide emissions

All of the generalizing conclusions on biofuels