Synthetic fuels in aviation – Current barriers and potential political measures

Abstract

Alternative fuels can contribute to sustainable air transport since these fuels reduce aviation’s climate-relevant emissions. Most promising options from today’s point of view are: biofuels and synthetic fuels (power-to-liquid, short: PtL or e-fuels). Results from a supply perspective show that biofuels are advantageous in the short term while synthetic fuels could be favorable in the long run. As it would certainly be too costly to finance a transitional biofuel system, it might be better to prioritize the use of synthetic fuels from the start. Due to the international character of aviation, the future production and use of synthetic fuels in aviation is a global issue. This paper investigates the following questions: Which are the current barriers to the use of e-fuels in air transport? Which political measures could facilitate the use of e-fuels?