Africa mulls huge investment in electric aircraft

It looks as though electric air taxis and small planes could arrive in the near future, subject to regulatory approval. However, the African continent, which is most times the last to embrace new technology or shift towards new innovation, is considering investing huge in the aircraft whenever it becomes viable. The Director-General of Kenyan Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Captain Gilbert Kibe told AirInsight that although they do not have enough information on the viability of electric aircraft but was of the opinion that the “viability of electric aircraft could make Africa consider huge investment in the equipment.” He noted that such airplanes would certainly be used for commercial air transport, stressing that it would have a great future in the region because they would save costs on fuel. According to him, they would be so compelling that flying would become much more affordable and airlines would also be more profitable. Kenya Airways takes the lead Kenya Airways recently showed the direction it wants to go with electric airplanes. The carrier recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions (“Eve”) through Fahari Aviation. This collaboration aims to develop operational models for the wide-accessibility of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to support Fahari Aviation’s key markets. In addition, this partnership will establish the co-creation of a foundation of concepts and procedures to safely scale electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also known in the market as EVA (Electrical Vertical Aircraft). Eve’s fully electric aircraft is designed to be accessible to all while being a community-friendly aircraft with a low noise signature and no emissions. Since the dawn of aviation, planes have primarily been powered by carbon-based fuels such as gasoline or kerosene. These contain a lot of energy for their weight, providing the vast power required to lift large commercial airliners on journeys across the globe. But with oil resources declining and penalties on greenhouse gas emissions increasing, the future of aviation is dependent on finding an alternative power source. Is the African market ready for electric aircraft? The African market is interesting in the sense that air traffic is expected to double in the next 20 years. Africa accounts for 15 percent of the world population but only two percent of the global air traffic. For many international airlines, high profit and stable passenger growth make Africa an attractive market. And with traffic set to double in the coming years, Africa will not only attract more stakeholders, airlines, investors, and financiers but also the whole business world. The huge market could make electric planes boom although the technology is still in its infancy and yet to be approved by regulatory bodies. Most of the electric aircraft are coming in small sizes of between 40 and 50 seats. This makes it attractive for the continent to cover short-haul distances and an ideal plane whenever it comes into service for airlines in Nigeria, Ghana, and others whose flight distances are between one or two hours. It is the right plane size for the development of regional route networks. Hydrogen vs lithium battery as a power source for electric motors Hydrogen is relatively easy to produce - plenty of sunshine and solar PV panels are essential ingredients - and because South Africa is sitting on 80% of the world’s platinum group metals (PGM) reserves. The conversion of hydrogen into energy uses a process known as “proton exchange membrane electrolysis”, where the membranes are impregnated with platinum, which, as we know from its application in modern petrol motor vehicles, has superb catalytic properties. Where hydrogen is currently limited is in the availability of hydrogen production, storage, and distribution infrastructure. But that will be addressed over the coming 10 years. Lithium battery technology’s main drawbacks are the weight of the batteries/storage cells and their volatility or propensity for self-combustion. This we know from a series of events, including mobile phones and toys combusting on aircraft, and of course, who will ever forget the series of fires that led Boeing to revise its design for the 787 Dreamliner and encase the Li batteries in heavy metal containers to stop any runaway fires. Is electricity the answer? The first step is to develop “more electric aircraft” – planes that maximize the use of electricity for all the other aircraft systems. The idea is to significantly reduce fuel consumption by improving overall energy efficiency. In practice, this means reducing the weight of the aircraft, reducing drag with improved aerodynamics, and optimizing the flight profile to use less fuel. But, though these improvements can save on fuel, that alone isn’t enough. The shift to more sustainable aircraft requires major, longer-term solutions.

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