The aviation industry is one of the industries that emit the most greenhouse gases. This sector has the fastest growing harmful emissions in recent years. Scientists are working to find a solution to this problem. Scientists have succeeded in producing the fuel needed to power the planes from solar energy and carbon dioxide.
The impact of the aviation industry on the climate varies between 1% and 5%. What is certain, however, is that this is mainly the result of the burning of kerosene that feeds our aircraft’s reactors. Because kerosene is produced by refining petroleum, a fossil fuel.
The aviation industry, which relies heavily on fossil-derived kerosene, is responsible for large amounts of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Its combustion emits carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. At the moment, unfortunately, there is no clean alternative that makes it possible to maintain long-haul traffic on a global scale.
169 panels positioned around the tower reflect sunlight towards the reactor at the top of the tower. This energy from the sun then enables the oxidation-reduction reactions on the porous structure to convert to cerium oxide (CeO2), a compound that is not consumed in operation, and is used to convert the water and CO2 supplied to the reactor as syngas.
The resulting liquid will then be converted to kerosene. Airplanes will continue to emit as much CO2 as before. However, the solar tower developed by the researchers consumes as much CO2 as the planes emit. It captures CO2 in the air and turns it into fuel.
