Guilt-free, zero emissions air travel could be an option for Britons when they jet off on trips from 2025.
Controversial British entrepreneur Dale Vince has launched Ecojet, a company he describes as the ‘world’s first electric airline’.
Ecojet will charter flights between Southampton and Edinburgh on planes that have been retrofitted with hydrogen-electric engines, while passengers will be treated to plant-based meals served by staff in environmentally friendly uniforms.
Flights to mainland Europe will follow shortly after, with long-haul trips to the likes of the US and Asia the ultimate goal.
Vince is a multi-millionaire vegan eco-tycoon who has donated money to the Labour party and climate activists Just Stop Oil.
His project marks the beginning of an ‘aviation revolution’ by making zero carbon, emission-free air travel possible for the first time.
‘The question of how to create sustainable air travel has plagued the green movement for decades, Ecojet is by far the most significant step towards a solution to date,’ said Dale.
‘The desire to travel is deeply etched into the human spirit, and flights free of C02 emissions, powered by renewable energy will allow us to explore our incredible world without harming it for the first time.’
Ecojet’s fleet will comprise two sizes of conventional planes – a 19-seat aircraft and a 70-seat aircraft – which have been retrofitted with the hydrogen-electric powertrains.
Much like the fleet being trialed by British-American firm ZeroAvia, hydrogen fuel cells on-board use the chemical energy of hydrogen to produce electricity.
These hydrogen fuel cells create power by mixing hydrogen and oxygen – which is provided by the air – via a chemical reaction.
The only waste product produced by this process is water, unlike traditional aviation which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Once retrofitted, the aircraft will operate with the same power output as before, but with a 100 per cent reduction in CO2 and other emissions.
The decision to repurpose old planes rather than build new models from scratch will save 90,000 tonnes of carbon per year.
The flights will take off from existing airports at Southampton and Edinburgh, meaning new airports won’t have to be built.
On board, steps will be taken to further reduce the impact of the aviation industry, including serving plant-based meals, eliminating single-use plastic and issuing staff environmentally friendly uniforms.
These will be using fabrics that don’t pollute the planet, so free of leather and likely containing ‘ethically sourced and grown cottons’, Vince told MailOnline.
Because electric motors are almost silent, passengers on board will experience a more peaceful and relaxing flight – perfect if they need a quick kip.
Meanwhile, people on the ground, such as airport staff or local residents, won’t experience the smell of burning fossil fuels.
Vince has invested around £1 million in the company initially and will raise further funds next year, he said.
Price of the flights have not been confirmed but he told MailOnline: ‘We will price match [with existing flights] so that all can afford.’
Ecojet will actually start operations from next year; however, its first flights won’t be zero emissions at all and will instead rely on polluting turbine engines.
The firm’s aircraft will only be retrofitted with the hydrogen-electric power trains as soon they become approved for service by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The first retrofits will take place in 2025, one year after the commencement of flights in 2024, meaning for the first year of operation Ecojet will be flying conventional high-emissions planes just like any other airline.
Currently, aviation accounts for some 3 per cent of global CO2 emissions, but its overall contribution to the climate crisis is estimated at three times this level due to the altitude that planes are at when they release greenhouse gases.
This ‘colossal’ negative impact on the planet will be removed for good when the viability of electric air travel is proven, according to Vince.
He envisions the wider aviation industry to follow the lead of his Ecojet project by eventually adopting electric planes.
Vince is the owner of wind farm company Ecotricity Ltd, which has made him one of the UK’s wealthiest businessmen, worth over £100million.
He’s also the owner and chairman of Forest Green Rovers in Gloucestershire, dubbed the world’s first carbon neutral football club.
But he’s become a controversial figure for his links with disruptive climate activists Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, which he has donated to.
He recently defended Just Stop Oil causing chaos at Wimbledon and the Ashes by saying climate change is the ‘real disruption’.
What are hydrogen fuel cells and how do they work?
A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity.
Hydrogen fuel cells create electricity to power a battery and motor by mixing hydrogen and oxygen in specially treated plates, which are combined to form the fuel cell stack.
Fuel cell stacks and batteries have allowed engineers to significantly shrink these components to even fit neatly inside a family car, although they are also commonly used to fuel buses and other larger vehicles.
Trains and aeroplanes are also being adapted to run on hydrogen fuel, for example.
Oxygen is collected from the air through intakes, usually in the grille, and hydrogen is stored in aluminium-lined fuel tanks, which automatically seal in an accident to prevent leaks.
These ingredients are fused, releasing usable electricity and water as by-products and making the technology one of the quietest and most environmentally friendly available.
Reducing the amount of platinum used in the stack has made fuel cells less expensive, but the use of the rare metal has restricted the spread of their use.
Recent research has suggested hydrogen fuel cell cars could one day challenge electric cars in the race for pollution-free roads, but only if more stations are built to fuel them.
