A consortium led by Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company Masdar plans to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from methanol.
The consortium, which also includes France’s TotalEnergies and Siemens Energy, is currently focused on SAF from green hydrogen, but is “actively working” with licensors to certify a new production pathway for aviation fuel from methanol, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday.
Methanol, primarily used to produce chemicals such as acetic acid and formaldehyde, is also a clean-burning fuel that produces fewer smog-causing emissions.
SAF, considered by the aviation industry as the most significant contributor to reaching the net zero goal, requires a major boost in production from the current minuscule levels.
In 2021, airlines globally pledged net-zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050 — bringing the air transport industry in line with the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Airlines are facing pressure from environmental groups to lower their carbon footprint and make operations greener after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last week, Masdar, Siemens Energy and TotalEnergies signed an agreement to develop a demonstrator plant project in Masdar City.
“The demonstrator plant will help to establish the commercial viability of green hydrogen as an essential decarbonised fuel of the future and will support Abu Dhabi’s development as a green hydrogen hub,” Mohamed Al Ramahi, chief executive of Masdar, said in an earlier statement.
“While the hydrogen market is still at a comparatively early stage, we firmly believe that by working together with international partners on projects such as this, we can help the hydrogen market develop its full potential and it will really take off in the years to come.”
The global aviation industry could use 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the world's projected hydrogen supply of 600 million tonnes by 2050 for the production of SAFs and to power new aircraft, according to airline trade association the International Air Transport Association.
Aviation is projected to use about 100 megatonnes — 100 million tonnes — of hydrogen for the production of SAF and 20 megatonnes for hydrogen-powered aircraft, if they enter into service by 2035.
Last year, Etihad Airways operated a net-zero emissions flight from Dulles International Airport in Washington to Abu Dhabi, via the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, to carry delegates to Egypt's Cop27 climate change conference.
It joined up with net-zero services provider World Energy to operate the flight powered entirely by SAF through a book-and-claim system.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Scores
Wales 74-24 Tonga
England 35-15 Japan
Italy 7-26 Australia
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
