Sustainability and Environment
Report: Future Aviation Will Require Massive Energy Growth
With the transition from fossil fuels underway in the aviation sector, a study from Atkins looks at the energy demands needed to fuel the future.
E-fuel test facility
As low carbon aviation fuels increase in use, their production and necessary energy input will become a major infrastructure consideration. (Photo: Curt Epstein/AIN)

With sustainability a key area of focus for the aviation industry, design and engineering consultancy Atkins has released a white paper examining the energy requirements needed to meet future aviation demand.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen, and batteries have all been identified as potential low-carbon power sources for the next generations of aircraft, but the energy pathways to generate or store those sources will need to grow dramatically over the next half-century, according to the paper’s author.