Will reduce a further 24 percent in 10 years – E24

– Things come to a standstill if we can’t move and be mobile. Today it has an environmental cost and we in the aviation industry must take responsibility for that.

That’s how Norwegian CEO Jacob Schram began his speech at a press conference at the airline’s offices on Thursday.

While managing the corona pandemic, Schram also spends time making plans and strategies for how Norwegian will rise after the crisis.

– I am also concerned about making a stronger and better Norwegian when we come out of covid-19 (corona pandemic, journal.anm.), Schram continued.

On Thursday, Schram and sustainability manager Anders Fagernæs presented the company’s new climate and sustainability goals:

• From 2010 to 2030, carbon efficiency will increase dramatically. This means that emissions during the period will be reduced by 45 percent, measured as CO emissions per passenger-kilometer.

Norwegian claims that in 2007 they emitted 109 grams of CO₂ per passenger kilometer. In 2010, it was reduced to 97 grams and in 2019 to 70 grams.

From 2010 to 2019, it was down 28 percent. To reach the goal in 2030, another 24 percent must be cut.

Additionally, Norwegian will take steps to dispose of plastic:

• By 2023, all use of non-recyclable plastic will be eliminated.
• By 2023, they will also reduce the use of disposable plastic by 30 percent and have introduced recycling of all plastic.
• In addition, the company will integrate climate risk and environmental objectives.

You need large amounts of new fuel

Unlike the auto industry, which can turn to electrification, hybrids and hydrogen to solve its emissions challenges, it is much more technically demanding to ditch the jet engine when flying.

With the electrification of large jets likely to be within a few decades, the industry will have to resort to other measures in order to reduce their emissions.

In addition to replacing older aircraft with newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft, Norwegian must also speculate on large amounts of biofuel or synthetic if they are to achieve their goals.

Today’s jets can fill up to 50 percent alternative fuel with current certifications. The challenge for airlines is that there is little access to the market and that the price is high.

– Sustainable fuel can offer a 16 to 28 percent improvement, depending on the rate of fleet renewal, Fagernæs said.

Chief Executive Officer Jacob Schram noted that Norwegian will need 500 million liters of sustainable fuel by 2030 to achieve its goals. His message to the market is clear:

– We will be a great buyer. My message to those who are planning or thinking they can produce this is: Increase production, because we want to reduce emissions as soon as possible.

– Do you assume a complete replacement of your 737 fleet by Max aircraft in the calculations?

– That decision was not made as part of the strategy. We say we can have the goal both ways: We can renew the fleet or fill the tank with sustainable fuel, says Fagernæs.

– And it will be a mixed bag. Depending on how we want to develop the fleet, sustainable fuel will play an important role, Schram added.

– How much is 500 million liters per year in 2030, compared to the market capacity and what you use today?

– Our consumption today is not very high, about 400,000 tons per year. It is currently on the market, but the question is how much goes to aviation and how much is used for road transport and the like, says Fagernæs, adding:

– Sustainable fuel production must increase dramatically.

Use data analytics

Norwegian has been working hard to address aviation’s climate challenge since 2018 and 2019. This work began at the same time that Norwegian changed its strategy from focusing on growth to ensuring long-term profitability.

Jacob Schram took over as CEO in January this year. As early as the end of the same month, Schram spoke about the challenge and how Norwegian plans to solve it at the aviation conference in Bodø, which was Schram’s first major public appearance at work.

– This is very ambitious, but we believe it is entirely possible, said Anders Fagernæs when he was going to describe the work that Norwegian has ahead of it.

He told how Norwegian got to work in 2019 through data-driven fuel economy.

• This means, among other things, that pilots receive continuously updated weather data directly in the cockpit, making it easier to choose the most fuel efficient flight route.
• In addition, pilots receive a data report on their mobile phone or tablet after the flight that informs them of the consumption on the trip.

– The most important thing we can do is renew the fleet. We have focused on this for the past 10 years, said Fagernæs.

– New types of aircraft (Boeing 737 Max in Norwegian’s case, journal.anm.) Can offer 15 percent better fuel efficiency per seat kilometer (than their predecessor, the Boeing 737–800 NG, journal. anm.). For our fleet, we expect the fleet renewal to provide a nine percent improvement, he continued.

SAS stepped up its plans in June

Norwegian isn’t the only company that has continued to work on the climate challenge for aviation during the corona pandemic.

When SAS submitted its first proposal for a financial rescue plan in late June, it emerged that the company was stepping up its climate plans. This is said to have happened after a dialogue with the authorities, who demanded it to continue supporting the company.

The escalation means that SAS is accelerating the goal of reducing emissions by 25 percent (measured against the 2005 level) from 2030 to 2025. The cut corresponds to all the flights that SAS had internally in Scandinavia in 2019, according to the company .

The cut target includes the total for SAS, that is, not per passenger-kilometer. The company also has a goal that at that time they will use as much sustainable fuel as is necessary to fly all the planes in Scandinavia.

SAS will achieve this by replacing old aircraft with new Airbus aircraft, using biofuels, developing synthetic fuels and other measures.

Therefore, the tools that SAS uses are no different than those that Norwegian introduced on Thursday.