As the first country in Europe, Denmark will have a domestic flight route with 40 percent of the so-called SAF – sustainable fuel – in the tank. On Wednesday at 3:25 p.m., the first Norwegian flight will take off from Aalborg to Copenhagen.
- We are reducing CO2 emissions by 3,000 tons per year, so it is a step in the right direction, says Sara Neergaard, country manager for Norwegian in Denmark.
The route from Aalborg to Copenhagen was created as part of the government's plan "Green aviation in Denmark". But Norwegian does not call the new route "green".
- As long as we still have fossil fuel in the tank, it is de facto not green. It is clearly more sustainable than it was before. But when it is not possible to fly on 100 percent SAF, we as a commercial airline cannot market it as green, says Sara Neergaard.
The price of a ticket is the same as what passengers are used to, even though the fuel is approximately seven to eight times more expensive than fossil fuel, because the state provides subsidies, she says.
Up to and including 2029, 800 million state kroner has been set aside for sustainable domestic flights in the agreement on "green aviation". The money comes from a passenger tax on airline tickets.
Not the other way around
It is only at Aalborg Airport that you can refuel with 40 percent sustainable fuel, so the trip from Copenhagen to Aalborg is not included.
The raw material – typically used cooking oil – comes from European cities and is converted into fuel in Gothenburg, after which it is shipped to Aalborg Airport.
At the environmental organization Rådet for Grøn Omstilling, advisor for green transport Alexander Bjørn Hansen says that they support all initiatives that can reduce CO2 emissions from aviation.
- But the money could perhaps have been spent more sensibly on the Danish side. The fuel that is now being refueled comes primarily from used cooking oil. And there is a limited amount of that.
- So we need to have some other types of fuel on the road, he says.
Can be formed with green electricity and hydrogen
SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) can also be formed using green electricity and hydrogen – the so-called eFuels.
And it would be better to spend the money on developing that in Denmark, according to the Council for Green Transition and the rest of the Climate Partnership for Aviation, which consists of a number of companies within aviation and green energy, among other things.
According to Mathias Milling, secretariat manager of Danish Aviation under the Confederation of Danish Industry, the new route will resonate in most of the world.
- So now is a good time to look forward to the next ambition, which is set for 2030.
International regulations currently allow flying with a maximum of 50 percent green fuel of safety concerns.
The government has an ambition that all Danish domestic flights will be operated with 100 percent sustainable fuel in the tank by 2030, if possible by then. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) launched the idea of a "green" domestic route in her New Year's speech in 2022.
The SVM government then entered into an agreement on "green aviation" with the SF and the Unity List in December 2023.
/ritzau/
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