Plucking aircraft fuel from thin air
How to combine atmospheric CO2 and water to power aeroplanes
MOST PEOPLE who think about such things agree that replacing fossil fuels with renewable electricity, either directly or indirectly, is the best way to decarbonise industry, transport and the heating and cooling of buildings. But there are some holdout areas where this is hard. Cement is one. Aviation is another, because batteries are too heavy and hydrogen (which could be made using renewable electricity) too bulky to do the job easily. Hydrocarbon aviation fuels are thus likely to be around for a while.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Liquid sunshine”
From the November 6th 2021 edition
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