Green Aviation Norway is taking off

Back to the future now

Photo: Vidu Gunaratna / Colourbox Today’s aviation leaves a large carbon footprint. Green Aviation Norway wants to change that.

Michael Kleiner
Business & Sports Editor
The Norwegian American

Was “green aviation” born from science fiction?

The Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise entered “the next frontier” (and eventually the final frontier) of space, going where no one had gone before. It was a futuristic look at the approximate years of 2266-2269 that Gene Rodenberry could imagine it might be from the context of 1966 to 1969, when the first series ran on NBC.

Same as the writers of the cartoon The Jetsons, set in 2062 (only 38 years away from now), with its flying cars that somehow transformed into attaché cases when one reached work, and video calls and machines in which you tapped a few buttons to get what you wanted to eat.. The show lasted one season, 1962-1963 but left its indelible mark. Both shows captured the fascination and imagination of multiple generations. Star Trek became a franchise with new series, movies, conventions, and devoted fans, the Trekkies.

Were these future societies sustainable? Will Saunders, social impact brander and admitted Trekkie, wrote in 2019,  Star Trek was a circular economy. Then in 2022, writer and conservationist Alice Rose Hobbs discussed environmentalism as a forgotten plotline in a specific episode of Star Trek’s The Next Generations series.

Back to the future, there are now real developments with humankind exploring a new frontier where no one has gone before  with the mission to build a new world that is sustainable, environmentally friendly, and devoid of climate change.  Aviation is no different, and the Norwegian consortium Green Aviation Norway (GAN) wants to lead the way with the goal to make Norway the venue for testing and demonstration. GAN currently consists of four Norwegian founding partners: Avinor, SINTEF, Luftfartstilsynet, and Norsk Industri, each bringing their own expertise to the “lab.” New members and partners, both Norwegian and international, are welcome. There is no cost to join.

“There may be companies that produce, deliver or store energy; companies involved in aircraft or aircraft parts production; service providers; airlines; airport operations; education; research; development and testing; climate and environmental organizations and the like,” it says on the website.

Either Trond Bakken, marketing director for EU Research in SINTEF Digital, or Jan Petter Steinland, director of strategic analysis and transformation at Civil Aviation Authority Norway, are the ones to contact.

As GAN states: “The need for an accelerated transition to greener aviation is crucial. The aviation industry must become sustainable to continue being one of our most important modes of transport in the future. Norway can take a leading role in the work for climate-friendly air transport. We therefore bring together private and public entities to establish a Green Aviation Norway program.”

Avinor

By managing Norway’s 43 state-run airports and navigation for the country’s civil and military aviation, Avinor is Norway’s linkage to the world. Through planning, development, and management of the integrated airport system, its nearly 2,800 employees factor into 50 million safe and efficient flights each year.

Avinor is at the forefront at cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions from Norwegian aircraft, targeting the year 2050 for fossil fuel-free aviation in Norway. They are working with the Norway Air Sports Association, Scandinavian Airlines System, Widerøe Airlines, and the environmental non-profit ZERO, developing the world’s first battery-powered electric aircraft.

“The aim of the joint project is to demonstrate technology, gain operational experience, and test different charging concepts to position Norway as a leader in electric aircraft in the world,” it says on the GAN website. “Together with energy efficiency improvements and constant modernization of the aircraft fleet, as well as the phasing in of sustainable aviation fuel, electrified aircraft can contribute to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions.”

SINTEF

SINTEF is the research, innovation, and technology development arm of the group, Scandinavia’s largest independent research institute. Profits are reinvested in the latest research, equipment, and knowledge.

One of Europe’s four largest independent research organizations, SINTEF aims
“to create sustainable solutions that realize a necessary shift in the transport sector, which are central in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

“We believe in engaging in technology development and testing. It’s important that some of the competence and value creation occurs in Norway. There is a potential in creating national values, competitiveness, and sustainable social solutions of great value for Norway and the world.”

Luftfartstilsynet

Luftfartstilsynet, Norway’s Civil Aviation Authority situated in Bodø, deals with regulations, oversight, investigating developing technologies, sustainable aviation fuel, and increased productivity to enhance aviation sustainability.  As the  GAN website states, their “main objective is to contribute to aviation that is both safe, sustainable, and serves its purpose for society.”

Luftfarstilsynet also stresses that aviation is an international transport sector with strict safety requirements: “Our focus will be on working with other authorities, participating in assessing how new technologies and new solutions will impact other parts of aviation and the mobility system, including the need for regulatory changes, provide guidance to various key stakeholders, and contribute to the safe integration of new technologies.”

Norsk Industri

Norsk Industri (NI), the Federation of Norwegian Industries, brings a business and financial perspective. There are 3,000 member companies with 127,500 employees. Yearly revenue in the sectors covered by NI is more than NOK 600 billion ($54.9 billion), while the figure for yearly exports is almost NOK 300 billion ($27.4 billion).

“The Federation of Norwegian Industries works for framing conditions for businesses in sectors and industries, such as oil and gas contractors; onshore petroleum activities; aluminum; aquaculture, and aquaculture suppliers; biotechnology and pharmaceuticals; cement chemical industries; electro and energy equipment; furniture; glass, and ceramics; machine and hardware industry; maritime industry; graphic arts and communication; metals; mining; paints and coatings; plastics; recycling, and textiles,” it explains on the GAN website.

“The federation’s most important task is to ensure that the authorities adopt a long-term fiscal policy and framing conditions for a competitive Norwegian industry. Important issues are stable, safe, and high activity; increased activity toward international projects; conditions to secure and achieve sustainable business, technology, competence, and R&D, as well as positively profiling the industry.”

This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of  The Norwegian American.