The government has announced £43 million for green aviation research and development as part of a push to decarbonise flying while pressing ahead with expansion plans at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton…reports Asian Lite News
The aviation industry is set for a significant injection of public funding after the government announced £43 million for green aviation projects designed to cut emissions, stimulate investment and support high-skilled jobs, as it presses ahead with plans to expand capacity at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton. The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, is due to chair a meeting with airlines, airports, innovators and engineering firms to discuss how new technologies can decarbonise the sector while delivering growth.
Ministers say the funding will be used to back research and development across areas such as zero-emission aircraft, hydrogen fuels and sustainable aviation fuels, with businesses, researchers and universities invited to bid for support from February. The competitions will allocate the £43 million to projects intended to help deliver net zero aviation by 2050 and to attract private capital into technologies that remain at an early stage of commercialisation.
The government argues that the potential economic returns are substantial, pointing to estimates that the production of low-carbon fuels alone could add up to £5 billion to the economy by 2050. By using public money to de-risk innovation, ministers believe the programme will draw in millions of pounds of private investment while supporting jobs in technology development, engineering and scientific research.
Heidi Alexander said the funding was designed to align climate goals with the drive for economic renewal and improved connectivity. “We’re backing UK businesses by powering up green aviation. Our £43 million investment will deliver the cutting-edge technology of the future, grow the economy and support highly skilled jobs as part of our mission to deliver national renewal,” she said. “Zero emission aircraft, hydrogen fuels and other emerging technologies are vital to reduce the climate impacts from flying and will enable us to deliver our airport expansion plans to boost connectivity and grow the economy.”
According to the Department for Transport, the projects supported could include work on clean fuels, zero-emission aircraft and trials to understand how contrails, the condensation trails produced by aircraft exhausts that can contribute to global warming, might be avoided. Officials say these technologies will be central to the government’s ambition to expand airport capacity in line with climate targets by reducing aviation’s carbon footprint and improving air quality around major hubs.
Regulation is also a focus of the package. The Civil Aviation Authority will use part of the funding to develop the rules required for the widespread use of hydrogen fuel in aviation, including support for pioneering companies and universities preparing for the deployment of zero-carbon technologies. The government sees early regulatory clarity as essential if the UK is to attract investment and maintain a leading position in emerging forms of flight.
Some of the money will be directed towards the use and tracking of sustainable aviation fuels in regions such as Africa and the Caribbean, with the aim of improving participation in global schemes that offset aviation emissions. Ministers say this will help ensure UK airlines are not placed at a financial disadvantage compared with carriers based in low-income countries that can avoid offsetting costs because they lack the tools to track and implement such schemes.
The £43 million sits alongside a wider policy framework intended to give the sector long-term certainty. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, due to come into force later this year, will guarantee a set price for UK producers, a move designed to encourage investment in domestic supply and help meet climate targets. This is supported by an additional £63 million to accelerate the development of new sustainable aviation fuel plants, as well as £2.3 billion over the next decade through the Aerospace Technology Institute programme to support aerospace innovation and jobs.
