Canada invests $350M in sustainable aviation tech

The Canadian government will invest $350 million in sustainable aviation technologies in support of furthering the green agenda in aerospace, leaders said this week. The Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology (INSAT) is part of the country’s Strategic Innovation Fund and is intended to affect aerospace throughout the nation, Sean Benmor , spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, told Air Cargo Next . [caption id="attachment_94786" align="alignright" width="300"] Airport terminal and runway birds-eye view facing west. Photo/Edmonton International Airport[/caption] “Canada’s investment … will help to establish a pan-Canadian, industry-led aerospace network focused on funding collaborative research and development projects with companies of all sizes across the Canadian supply chain, from coast to coast to coast,” Benmor said. The projects will cover four key areas, according to Benmor: Hybrid and alternative propulsion; Aircraft architecture and systems integration; Transition to alternative fuels; and Aircraft support infrastructure and operations. The move positions Canada to take a leading role in elevating sustainability targets, as set by IATA in 2021, to reach net-zero by 2050 , a release from the federal government stated. The Canadian aerospace manufacturing industry exported $18.7 billion worth of products in 2022 as Canada continues to progress as a global leader in aviation, the release stated. “Our mission is to coordinate and accelerate the development of sustainable aviation technologies in Canada — technologies in our products and services, for our OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises], airlines and airports, and in conjunction with adjacent sectors such as transportation, energy and IT,” Walter Di Bartolomeo , interim chair of the INSAT board, said in the release. The total $350 million investment includes $49 million from a 2019 investment for innovation in sustainability. Industrywide, experts agree that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a science-backed route to decarbonize aviation, which accounts for about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to IATA. Critics challenge the availability and cost of SAF, suggesting the 2050 targets are out of reach. However, Canadian industry officials say the country is uniquely set to fulfill its goals. “The aviation industry knows that shifting from fossil fuels to SAFs will require a significant increase in production, which is a costly investment,” Mammen Tharakan , director of e-commerce and cargo at Edmonton International Airport (YEG), told Air Cargo Next . He listed the following decarbonization opportunities for Canada: Drone logistics; Hybrid-electric aircraft; Fleet transitions; Electrification of aviation equipment; and Development and use of hydrogen in ground ops. In fact, Alberta [Canada] has some advantages in hydrogen production that cannot be understated in terms of sustainability, Tharakan said. “From robust energy infrastructure and expertise to enormous reserves of the necessary feedstocks and unlimited carbon capture and storage potential — the world’s cheapest clean hydrogen will be made in Alberta and will fuel much of the energy transition for western Canada’s aviation sector,” he said. Join Air Cargo Next for the second Air Cargo Tech Summit on Monday, Sept. 18, and Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Brussels Marriott Hotel Grand Place in Belgium. For more information on the summit and to register, click here .

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