British airline easyJet announced on Monday a plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with measures including investment in new aircraft, fuel savings and the use of hydrogen-powered aircraft.
According to the plan revealed this Monday in Luton, north of London, where it is based, easyJet will invest up to 2029 21,000 million dollars (21,800 million euros at current exchange rates) in 168 new, more efficient Airbus neo aircraft.
Executive Chairman Johan Lundgren, I did not want to advance the cost of each planeBut he said the investment is aimed at a replacement mix of older devices, namely the Airbus 320ceo.
The company already operates 59 Airbus 321neo and 320neo, several of which on Portuguese routes. The former have greater capacity and the latter allow a reduction of 15% in fuel consumption and 50% in noise.
Lundgren said the 99 Airbus 319s the company still operates will be replaced in the next five years by Airbus 320s and 321s, which also have more capacity, allowing them to carry more passengers and increase revenue.
In addition to this measure, easyJet will also invest “several million euros” to provide the entire fleet with software that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, specifically in the descent of aircraft when they approach landing.
Another measure is greater use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), produced from materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat residues, having signed a contract for the next five years with the supplier Q8.
However, easyjet assumed this Monday that the Hydrogen has the “greatest potential” as a less polluting alternative energy and also the most advanced in terms of development, being “in the final preparations” for the first tests on land with hydrogen combustion engines from partner Rolls-Royce.
The company’s plan foresees that, as soon as the technologies are available, it will be possible to reduce 78% of its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometer, by 2050 (compared to 2019), with the rest of the emissions offset by technology. of carbon. elimination.
Source: Observadora
