This airplane, which runs on hydrogen, may be the first to travel the entire world without stopping.
The team behind Climate Impulse wants to highlight the benefits of hydrogen as a substitute fuel for airplanes. However, the airplane has a lot to prove because there are several design flaws to work out and a whole industry to restructure.
The search is on for a substitute fuel for air travel as the aviation sector seeks to reduce its carbon emissions, and hydrogen is hoping to be a front-runner in this competition.
A group at Les Sables-d'Olonne, France is developing a hydrogen-powered aircraft with the goal of being the first to circumnavigate the earth in order to demonstrate the technology's potential. Climate Impulse is the name given to it.
Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard, who participated in the 2015–2016 Solar Impulse crew that completed a round-the-world flight in a solar-powered aircraft, is leading the group.
He thinks the initiative has the potential to significantly boost the aviation sector.
Many claim that aviation are unable to be made carbon-free. Bertrand Piccard said to CNBC Tech: The Edge, which was "Climate Impulse is my call over defeatism, against skepticism, and against all the people who say there are no solutions."
"There are many answers, but action is the only way hope will materialize." Of course, changing an aircraft's fuel is not the only step in the transition to hydrogen-powered flight.
Among other things, maintaining the liquid hydrogen at nearly zero degrees Celsius poses unique design issues. Why, therefore, did the Climate Impulse team choose hydrogen fuel for the undertaking?
Going solar is one way to be completely decarbonized, but it's not feasible for commercial aircraft, according to Piccard. Larger planes require larger batteries, which will require you to use some energy hauling the bulky batteries.
Thus, switching to hydrogen at that point would be improved. After testing begins in 2026, the team hopes to try a round-the-world flight with Climate Impulse in 2028.
