Airbus // Universal Registration Document 2023
1. Information on the Company’s Activities 1.2 Non-Financial Information
The Company’s roadmap to reducing emissions In this context and as a core axis of its strategy, the Company aims to accelerate the development of lower emission technologies in order to market lower carbon aircraft including hydrogen-powered aircraft. Fostering ecosystem readiness including associated infrastructure and the dynamic deployment of SAF will be another priority, in order to achieve this ambition while minimising the recourse to offsetting, as presented below.
Strategic pathway 1 Renew current fleets with best-in-class aircraft
› › In 2023, the Company delivered exclusively latest generation commercial aircraft (2022: 99%). › › The A321XLR offers the opportunity to open longer range routes to the single aisle aircraft family, thereby leveraging the platform’s greater CO 2 efficiency. It has continued its certification campaign in 2023 and in October, the aircraft finalised its route and passenger proving campaign on time for a planned entry into service in 2024.
Around 70% of the global commercial aircraft fleet is still made up of previous generation aircraft, while latest generation aircraft are up to 25% more efficient than the previous generation. Renewing the fleet therefore offers immediate potential for aviation decarbonisation. The Company consistently works to improve the efficiency of its aircraft: - - A350 and A330neo offer 25% reduction in fuel burn per seat and significantly reduced noise footprint versus the previous generation of aircraft; - - the A320neo family brings a 20% reduction in fuel burn per seat, and nearly half the noise footprint compared to the previous generation of aircraft; - - A220 offers 25% reduction in fuel burn per seat versus the previous generation of small single aisle aircraft, 50% reduction in noise footprint and 50% fewer NO x emissions than the standards. The Company is continuously improving its products through new aerostructures designs and technologies, advanced materials, upgraded systems and more fuel-efficient engines aiming to achieve CO 2 , NO x and noise emissions reductions in operations.
Strategic pathway 2 Developing and deploying SAF, all aircraft types compatible with up to 100% SAF by 2030.
In order to accelerate its action plan, the Company strengthened its governance on this matter by creating a dedicated project team, responsible for the end-to-end SAF roadmap strategy and deployment. The Company recognises SAF as a major pillar of the aviation decarbonisation roadmap for the short, medium and long-term. SAF is a fuel derived from a range of “feedstocks” (origin of carbon molecules used) made from sustainable resources; the reduction of CO 2 emissions throughout its life cycle can exceed 80% when compared with conventional kerosene. Eight SAF production pathways are currently certified for blending with kerosene, including processes such as hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), alcohol-to-jet, Fischer Tropsch, or power-to-liquid. Some of them are derived from used fat, cooking oil and grease, municipal waste, agricultural and forestry waste and residues. More advanced technologies use hydrogen and carbon captured directly from the air as feedstock for SAF production. In order to be considered a SAF, an aviation fuel needs to meet defined sustainability requirements; the Company supports the ones set out by ICAO/CORSIA and in particular aspects related to non-competition with food and water resources. It also actively supports current and future sustainability criteria via regionally or nationally recognised schemes including EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), Low Carbon Fuel Standard in the US, Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation in the UK and “Renewable Fuel Units” (HBEs) in the Netherlands. SAF levels of production are currently low compared to volumes that will be necessary in the coming years. According to IATA, in 2023, SAF volumes are estimated to have reached over 600 million litres (0.5Mton), representing about 0.2% of total aviation fuels, doubling the 300 million litres (0.25 Mton) produced in 2022 and six times more than the volume produced in 2021. Acceleration will be required to reach the first milestone in 2030 set by the sector during the ICAO Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels in 2023 to reach 23 billion litres (5.2% of total fuel consumption) SAF produced, or through the 6% EU SAF mandate. The Company believes coordinated action of all stakeholders could foster a 10% SAF penetration at the global level by 2030. Acknowledging that SAF scale up success will depend on consistent actions by all actors including engine makers, producers, airlines, airports, logistics providers, and policy makers amongst others, the Company is seeking to act both as technical solution developer and catalyst for the ecosystem, both at global and regional levels. The Company supports the ambitious rollout of SAF using all production pathways meeting the sustainability criteria described above, and developing visibility to foster demand meeting supply will be essential. Accordingly, the Company’s action plan is as follows:
84 Airbus Annual Report
Universal Registration Document 2023
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