Swiss WorldCargo turns to direct air capture to offset emissions
20 / 06 / 2024
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Swiss WorldCargo is offering a new solution that will use direct air capture (DAC) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to offset carbon emissions.
The Swiss airline is partnering with carbon removal firm Climeworks which is pioneering the use of DAC technology to capture CO2 from the air to then be stored permanently underground.
Swiss WorldCargo will combine its DAC offering with its SAF service under the banner Aviation Tech Pioneer.
The airline said that the Aviation Tech Pioneer service will remove the equivalent of 20% of the CO2 generated by shipments through DAC while SAF will offer an 80% net reduction in emissions.
“Thanks to this new offering, Swiss WorldCargo’s customers now have at their disposal an option to not only help the scale-up of critical tech to reach net-zero in aviation, but also act on reaching their scope 3 emission reduction targets to support removing unavoidable emissions from the atmosphere,” the airline said.
“The new offering follows other ongoing initiatives at Swiss WorldCargo, such as investments in SAF, lightweight containers, and modern aircraft, and has the potential to pave the way for more sustainable practices in the aviation and logistics industries for the years to come.”
Swiss WorldCargo is the first cargo carrier to partner with Climeworks.
Climeworks operates the world’s two biggest DAC and storage facilities, which are located in Iceland and has “extensive growth plans”.
DAC technologies also offer a scalable means of procuring atmospheric CO2 for use as a raw material in manufacturing the next generation of synthetic fuels.
SWISS and Swiss WorldCargo have set the target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.
“Swiss WorldCargo recognises the importance of accelerating key technologies and innovation to create a more sustainable future for the air cargo industry and takes action to ensure that significant partnerships are established to drive sustainability initiatives forward,” the carrier said.
“The airline sector will need to take advantage of both DAC and further negative-emission technologies if it is to achieve its ambitious carbon emission mitigation goals.”
Source: Swiss WorldCargo/Climeworks
