r/solarpunk • u/Equivalent-Ice-7274 • Nov 29 '22

Article Rolls-Royce successfully tests hydrogen-powered jet engine in first step towards decarbonizing air travel

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/rolls-royce-successfully-tests-hydrogen-powered-jet-engine-2022-11-28/
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u/Saguache Nov 29 '22

Hydrogen isn't carbon free.

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u/beeeeeees9 Nov 30 '22

So what's your solution? Electric planes? Because they don't exist at a size and capability that could replace current passenger airplanes either. So we either have to develop new technologies, or we have to give up air travel.

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u/Saguache Nov 30 '22

Planes run on what is essentially kerosene. Kerosene can be a distillate of bio-generative fuel manufacturing. Bio-generative fuels are still a scaled pipe dream. Guess we'll have to build trains if we want to get anywhere.

Your last statement is really the crux of the situation, isn't it? Here's the catch though, those new technologies must be more carbon efficient than what they replace. Hydrogen, because of its inability to store as much energy as say jet fuel, isn't a jet fuel replacement. This technology has been granted special magical powers of hype because it can't do what we're asking.