The report has been created for the Scandinavian collaborative project FAIR (Finding Innovations to Accelerate Implementation of Electric Regional Aviation), which examines the possibilities, maps the needs and the technical investments needed to implement electric aviation. The project consists of partners from Nordland in Norway, Västerbotten in Sweden, and Ostrobothnia in Finland.
– Norway is a pioneering country when it comes to electrifying the transport sector, says Professor Gisle Solvoll. Now when it’s the time for the aviation sector to reduce its emissions, the Norwegian short-haul network with its relatively short flight routes has an advantage as the first electric aircrafts will be small and have a short range.
Solvoll believes that the Ministry of Transport plays a central role through its purchases of flight routes. By placing strict environmental requirements in procurements, the authorities can influence the development of environmentally friendly aircraft and speed up the transition to greener aviation. The study concludes that the following three activities will be important to put into action.
– Firstly, the power supply and power demand at all airports in Norway must be mapped out, says Solvoll. Good and stable power supply at the airports is crucial for the electric aircraft to be able to be charged in an acceptable time.
The second point the researchers have concluded is that it’s important to establish a dialogue between the airport owner (Avinor), the Norwegian Aviation Authority and the security authorities (The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection). These three actors must cooperate to conclude which investments and regulations must be made at the airports where electric aircraft will operate.
– Thirdly, the authorities must arrange meeting places for the companies that will deliver and produce the necessary services and products for the green aviation, says Solvoll. This includes aircraft manufacturers, battery manufacturers and electricity companies, among others.
Solvoll believes that the actors must be informed about what environmental and safety goals the authorities have, what time perspective the suppliers should manage and the freedom they have to develop technical solutions and standards for fossil-free aviation.
You can read the report HERE.
”FAIR is an Interreg Botnia-Atlantica financed project developing a methodology to support an early and efficient commercialization of electric-powered regional flights in the Kvarken region.”
