Quick Take from a Petroleum Engineer: The Realities of Hydrogen and Biofuels in Aviation

As a petroleum engineer by profession, I’m closely watching the energy transition and how it intersects with sectors like aviation. Airbus’s vision of deploying hydrogen-powered aircraft and integrating biofuels at scale is ambitious but it’s not without real-world constraints.

Hydrogen: High Potential, High Hurdles
Hydrogen-powered aircraft are technically feasible. But challenges remain in storage, safety, and infrastructure. Hydrogen’s low volumetric energy density means you need large cryogenic tanks, which disrupt aircraft design and payload efficiency. For short-haul flights or regional aircraft, hydrogen could become viable within the next two decades especially if green hydrogen production scales and airport refueling standards mature.

Biofuels: More Immediate but Supply-Limited
Biofuels, especially sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), present a more realistic short- to mid-term path. They can be used in current engines with minimal modifications and provide up to 80% lifecycle emission reduction. However, the main barrier is feedstock availability and cost. As a petroleum engineer, I see potential in refining waste oils and non-food biomass but scaling that to meet global jet fuel demand is a monumental task.

Bottom Line
From an engineering and market-readiness perspective:

Hydrogen is a long game, with 2035–2040 as the earliest realistic timeline for commercial deployment.

Biofuels are today’s transitional solution, but they need massive policy and supply chain support to scale affordably.

We need parallel innovation tracks: advancing aircraft design, reforming fuel policies, and investing in refining tech that bridges petroleum and renewables.

Curious to hear from others in aerospace and energy - what timelines are you seeing on your end?