The team behind Climate Impulse aims to demonstrate the value of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for air travel. But with many design issues to overcome and the entire industry to be overhauled, the aircraft still has a lot to prove.
As the aviation industry seeks to lower carbon emissions, the race is on to find alternative fuels for air travel, and hydrogen is expected to be the frontrunner.
To prove its potential, a team in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, is building a hydrogen-powered aircraft with the goal of becoming the first to orbit the Earth. Its name is “Climate Impulse.”
Leading the team is Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard, who was part of the Solar Impulse team that flew a solar-powered plane around the world in 2015-2016.
“A lot of people say the aviation industry can’t decarbonize,” Bertrand Piccard told CNBC Tech: The Edge. “Climate Impulse” is my message against defeatism, against skepticism, against anyone who thinks there are no solutions. Appeal. “There are many solutions, but hope will only come if action is taken. “
Of course, switching to hydrogen-powered aviation isn’t as simple as replacing aircraft fuel. On top of that, liquid hydrogen must be kept close to absolute zero, which also poses design challenges. So why did the Climate Impulse team decide to use hydrogen fuel for this project?
“If you wanted to completely decarbonize, you could continue to use solar energy… but that’s not practical for commercial aviation,” Pickard explained. “If you have a bigger aircraft, you need bigger batteries, and carrying heavy batteries wastes some of your energy. So this is when it becomes more efficient to use hydrogen.”
The team aims to have Climate Dynamics attempt a circumnavigation in 2028 and begin testing in 2026.
Watch the video above for a behind-the-scenes look at the Climate Impulse project.
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