With synthetic kerosene aircraft CO2 can fly-neutral

South Korea–Berlin–Cologne. No, flight of shame, Philipp Furler (36) does not know. The promo white fourth machine builders only too well that the air traffic caused in the year 2018, approximately 918 million metric tons of CO2. "I fly almost only on the job and work that fly cleaner", is justified Furler. Already during his studies at the ETH, he has done research on this – in 2016, the study was officially launched to the profession: With his company Synhelion wants to restore Furler kerosene that emits when flying only as much CO2 as before the air was withdrawn.

stands on the roof of the ETH building in Zurich, the prototype of a mini-refinery. This is housed in a mobile home on rails. Behind this complex technology is hidden: "With solar energy, we columns of CO2 and water. The product, Syngas, can we process to kerosene," said Furler. Shall be withdrawn, in the manufacture of kerosene is equal to the amount of CO2 from the atmosphere as the combustion is released.

A deciliter per day

Still not a drop of synthetic kerosene is flowed in an aircraft tank. Because the quantity produced is not nearly enough. Per day the plant can produce in Zurich, one deciliter. A flight from Zurich to New York requires but 45'000 litres of kerosene.

Nevertheless, Furler is optimistic. "In two to three years, the first aircraft can take off with synthetic kerosene." No big Jets, but at least in small planes. And when there will be only synthetic kerosene? Furler, hesitates, throws his hands up. "I hope that in ten years, at least, a large proportion of aircraft fuel tanks with synthetic jet fuel filled," he says finally.

in the sun

The Knowledge is there, the Problem is lack of production facilities. "Now we need to increase the equipment and lower the cost of production, more kerosene to produce." And, not least, Furler must be in the sun. "In the South of Italy, Spain or California, you can create a square kilometre of 25'000 litres of kerosene per day."

the industry believes that the artificial kerosene. "In the long term, synthetic fuel is the solution for the air travel," said Swiss Chef Thomas Klühr (57) in an Interview with SonntagsBlick. He warned, however, that this requires enormous initial investments are required.

Also the airport of Zurich is interested

With the Lufthansa Synhelion signed in may a Memorandum of understanding. The German airline group has agreed to agree later on decrease in quotas for the production of sustainable fuels. Also, the Zurich airport wants to buy from 2023, the total available annual quantity, produced in a test facility in Switzerland. Not for planes, but for the car Park or the heating system, so the airport spokeswoman Bettina Kunz.

start-up funding could come through the CO2 law, the national Council discussed on Tuesday. The environmental Commission does not want that the money can be used for the scheduled airline ticket levy for the development of a renewable jet fuel.

airline tickets could be more expensive

For the frequent flyers of synthetic fuel, means that you will have to dig deeper into your wallet. The flight ticket prices will rise if CO2-neutral kerosene fills the Tank. Conventional kerosene costs 50 cents per Liter. "The price for CO2-neutral synthetic kerosene is the long-term between 1 to 2 francs" must Furler confess.

that's Why he wants to bring to the beginning of the kerosene on the market, only 50 per cent less CO2 emits as in the past. But only a little more expensive than kerosene from oil. For the time being, there is only a climate rescue light.

The second calls

The Green wave was also on the scoreboard in the makeshift Council chamber at the Bern Expo visible. The SVP in red fought mostly alone against the Rest of the house in green. This color is now also the new CO2-law. Red, however, could bleed the wallet.

gasoline and Diesel will be up from 2025 to up to 12 cents more expensive. According to TCS, the average price was the end of April at around 1.39 Swiss francs – with the new law, the price would rise so may be about 1.50 Swiss francs.

Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga (60) tried to appease: many of the measures amounts to a Maximum of stated: "All the calculate now the maximum mark-UPS and the people any horror submit invoices to conceal that the maximum opportunity has hitherto not been exhausted". In fact, the surcharge on gasoline and Diesel fuel could amount to five cents, – he is but two.

Who wants to be in the summer holiday from Zurich to Mallorca, or just continue to fly away, must be pay with the new law, depending on the category of 30 to 120 francs. Upon impact, however, is an incentive fee. This means that A part of the money will be refunded. Those who fly little, get back money, so Sommaruga.

Now the law is back in the Council of States: The major lines are plugged in, for example, at the question of how much CO2 is in the domestic to be compensated, there is still disagreement.

finally, the voting public should decide. Already last autumn SVP-President Albert Rösti (52) announced that in VIEW of the Referendum against the law. Even now, it is for the SVP is clear that the voting public must have the last word. As the SVP for the Referendum is involved, but it is still open. You reckon, that the directly affected industry associations have taken the Referendum. Hash Browns could still be on Board – after all, he is the President of Swissoil, the umbrella organisation of fuel distributors.

Date Of Update: 12 June 2020, 11:50