Net Zero and carbon negative Operations
Swift is embarking on a new era of aircraft development and hopes to play a significant role in enabling NetZero Carbon Emission aircraft solutions, starting with an aircraft that is NetZero at point of use. However, the ambition of Swift Aircraft is to go much further than this and our ultimate aim is to create Carbon Negative aircraft operations within the next decade.
The UK is committed to NetZero 50 and Swift has a programme to demonstrate all elements of a fully sustainable system for the future - with the aim to create aircraft with true green credentials and a negative carbon footprint. This programme includes sustainable materials (Natural Fibre composites) and sustainable power sources.
It is not only CO2, which as an international community we need to reduce, but any other Green House Gases (GHG). GHG’s like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorb heat energy and emit it in all directions, keeping the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere warm. Adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere enhances the effect, making Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere even warmer. To compare methane and CO2, methane is a GHG with a 100-year global warming potential 28-34 times that of CO2. Measured over a 20 year period, that ratio grows to 84-86 times. This is the reason why the oil and gas industry and coal usage, gets focus. Methane is the primary component of natural gas, with some emitted to the atmosphere during its production, processing, storage, transmission, distribution and use. It is estimated that around 3% of total worldwide natural gas production is lost annually to venting, leakage, and flaring, resulting in substantial economic and environmental costs. Coal mining related activities (extraction, crushing, distribution and so on) release some of the methane trapped around and within the rock. Methane is emitted from active underground and surface mines as well as from abandoned mines and undeveloped coal seams. Further, the geological formation of oil can also create large methane deposits that get released during drilling and extraction. The production, refinement, transportation and storage of oil are all sources of methane emissions.
Swift relies on the following definitions in its strategy for easing climatic consequences:
The UK is committed to NetZero 50 and Swift has a programme to demonstrate all elements of a fully sustainable system for the future - with the aim to create aircraft with true green credentials and a negative carbon footprint. This programme includes sustainable materials (Natural Fibre composites) and sustainable power sources.
It is not only CO2, which as an international community we need to reduce, but any other Green House Gases (GHG). GHG’s like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide absorb heat energy and emit it in all directions, keeping the Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere warm. Adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere enhances the effect, making Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere even warmer. To compare methane and CO2, methane is a GHG with a 100-year global warming potential 28-34 times that of CO2. Measured over a 20 year period, that ratio grows to 84-86 times. This is the reason why the oil and gas industry and coal usage, gets focus. Methane is the primary component of natural gas, with some emitted to the atmosphere during its production, processing, storage, transmission, distribution and use. It is estimated that around 3% of total worldwide natural gas production is lost annually to venting, leakage, and flaring, resulting in substantial economic and environmental costs. Coal mining related activities (extraction, crushing, distribution and so on) release some of the methane trapped around and within the rock. Methane is emitted from active underground and surface mines as well as from abandoned mines and undeveloped coal seams. Further, the geological formation of oil can also create large methane deposits that get released during drilling and extraction. The production, refinement, transportation and storage of oil are all sources of methane emissions.
Swift relies on the following definitions in its strategy for easing climatic consequences:
- Carbon Neutral - any CO2 released into the atmosphere from a company’s activities is balanced by an equivalent amount being removed.
- Carbon Negative (Climate Positive) - activity goes beyond achieving netzero carbon emissions to create an environmental benefit by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Climate Neutral - reducing all GHG to the point of zero while eliminating all other negative environmental impacts that an organisation may cause.
- NetZero Carbon Emissions - an activity releases netzero carbon emissions into the atmosphere. NetZero Emissions balance the whole amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) released and the amount removed from the atmosphere
SIRPS Vision
Within our SIRPS vision, we make use of Waste to Energy as well as more conventional renewable technologies to generate the power necessary to either charge battery solutions or to produce Green Hydrogen. The inclusion of Waste to Energy, through pyrolysis, enables Carbon Negative operations due to it capture of carbon. This differs to Waste to Energy through incineration which requires additional CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technologies increasing the cost and complexity of the plants.
Swift Aircraft acknowledges that the use of batteries alone in aircraft is not the ultimate solution and the same can be said for SAF’s (Synthetic Aviation Fuel). However, these are currently the technologies that have the highest TRLs (Technology Readiness Level) and MRLs (Manufacturing Readiness Level) and at the same time are better than conventional fossil fuels. So the use of batteries is where we intend to start but we will not stop there.
Sustainable composites
Designing an aircraft made of sustainable composite material will dramatically lower the environmental impact of the use of carbon fibre. Natural fibre, biodegradable composites and bio resigns have been used in other industries, but not yet in aerospace and this needs to change.
The Swift Group is currently testing environmentally-friendly natural fibres for use in aircraft design and certification in our own NADCAP compliant Istron 5985 test centre.
Introducing sustainable manufacturing operations for the aircraft is also a key factor in sustainable aircraft production of the future. This can be achieved by, for example, improving energy efficiency from shorter composite cycle times and lower temperatures. The company designed and manufactured its own highly insulated ovens for composite curing for this purpose, thereby reducing power requirements.
Swift will continue to explore initiatives that decrease the carbon footprint of the company with high efficiency manufacturing to minimise it's environmental impact.
The Swift Group is currently testing environmentally-friendly natural fibres for use in aircraft design and certification in our own NADCAP compliant Istron 5985 test centre.
Introducing sustainable manufacturing operations for the aircraft is also a key factor in sustainable aircraft production of the future. This can be achieved by, for example, improving energy efficiency from shorter composite cycle times and lower temperatures. The company designed and manufactured its own highly insulated ovens for composite curing for this purpose, thereby reducing power requirements.
Swift will continue to explore initiatives that decrease the carbon footprint of the company with high efficiency manufacturing to minimise it's environmental impact.