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Pathways analysis for hydrogen energy to mitigate climate change in African air traffic

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  • Jia, Zi-ke
  • Cui, Qiang

Abstract

Africa's aviation industry is experiencing rapid growth, and as an underdeveloped region, it has the potential to make significant contributions to the global aviation industry's sustainable development. This paper examines the role of hydrogen energy in controlling climate change in the African air traffic through various scenarios using the Aviation Finite-Amplitude Impulse Response (Aviation-FAIR) method. The findings reveal that while emissions and concentrations of other pollutants, such as N2O and CH4, are relatively small compared to CO2, their Effective Radiative Forcing (ERF) is higher, making their impact on climate change significant. The use of hydrogen energy can significantly reduce the aviation industry's climate impact in Africa; however, the timing of implementation is critical. Therefore, using Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) as a transitional energy source before adopting hydrogen energy is a better option for the African air traffic.

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  • Jia, Zi-ke & Cui, Qiang, 2025. "Pathways analysis for hydrogen energy to mitigate climate change in African air traffic," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:324:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225016378
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.135995
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