HyShiFT – Decarbonizing Aviation

Aviation is one of the sectors with the greatest difficulties in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The aviation industry is responsible for roughly 12 percent of all transport emissions. Finding ways to reduce its carbon footprint is one of the biggest challenges facing the energy transition and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a promising possibility. 

There are currently no practicable, carbon-neutral energy solutions for the aviation industry – especially for long-haul flights. Together with our partners in South Africa, we are working on a promising way to solve this problem and develop and produce sustainable aviation fuel.  

Aviation without fossil fuels 

The HyShiFT consortium is a global alliance of partners working together to produce sustainable aviation fuel (e-kerosene). Four players – Linde, Sasol, Hydregen and ENERTRAG – are cooperating to produce and utilize green hydrogen for the production of aviation fuel. Each partner is contributing its expertise in the field of renewable energies: We generate renewable electricity from wind and solar energy, Linde produces green hydrogen, and Sasol converts these two feedstocks into green aviation fuel, known as PtL kerosene or e-kerosene, using its FT reactor. 

Power-to-Liquid: Kerosene from water and CO₂ 

PtL kerosene can supplement or replace conventional kerosene made from fossil fuels. A power-to-liquid process (PtL) is used to produce it. This is based on the provision of a sustainable carbon feedstock (biomass or other unavoidable industrial carbon dioxide sources) and the production of green hydrogen through electrolysis. Carbon and hydrogen are converted into syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which in turn is converted into longer-chain hydrocarbons. These are then used to produce e-kerosene through the FT process.  

Sustainable aviation fuel of this type could contribute around 65 percent to the emissions reductions required to achieve net CO₂ emissions from aviation by 2050. This will require a massive increase in production to meet demand.  

HyShiFT's goal is to produce 50,000 tons of green kerosene per day, which could power two flights between Germany and South Africa per day.  

South Africa: Scalable solutions for green hydrogen production  

South Africa has a high level of energy sources such as sun and wind, which can be used to produce clean and sustainable hydrogen. The country could therefore play an important role as a hydrogen producer for Germany and Europe in the future. However, the first prerequisite would be to build a suitable infrastructure for the storage and distribution of hydrogen and to reduce production costs. This would make the technology competitive.  

HySHiFT is one of nine green hydrogen projects registered at Infrastructure South Africa and is on the updated list of strategic integrated projects published in December 2022 in accordance with the Infrastructure Development Act. 

Energy taking flight 

Watch the video to find out more about how we want to change the aviation industry's dependence on fossil fuels with HySHiFT. 

https://www.bbc.com/storyworks/humanising-energy/energy-taking-flight