The State has decided to put its hand in its pocket to promote carbon-free air transport, that is to say more respectful of the environment, as quickly as possible. On the occasion of a visit, Friday June 16, in the factory of Villaroche (Seine-et-Marne) of the engine manufacturer Safran, where the engines of the Rafale are produced in particular, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced a salvo of investments for “preparing for technological breakthroughs in the aviation sector and developing the first ultra-low-energy aircraft”. In total, 8.5 billion euros will be mobilized by 2027.
These announcements come just before the opening of the International Air and Space Show in Le Bourget scheduled for Monday, June 19. The objective is twofold. The State wants to help manufacturers to accelerate the development of the future generation aircraft, a zero emission device. He also wishes to maintain the sovereignty of France by accelerating “the development and structuring of the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sector”, affirmed the President of the Republic.
An envelope of 300 million euros per year, from 2024, will triple the financing effort of the Council for Civil Aeronautical Research (Corac), the structure that accompanies some of the projects of large groups, but also of SMEs. of the aeronautics sector.
ultra-sober plane
Mr. Macron wants to go fast. He wants the future ultra-low-energy aircraft to be produced “at the end of the decade”. To achieve this, the windfall will be used in particular to finance the development of the next RISE engine (Revolutionary innovation for sustainable engines). An engine capable of running on hydrogen as with 100% biofuels on which Safran and the American GE are working, united within the joint venture CFM. Part of this financing will go to irrigate the development of “new drives”, such as the electric hybrid and hydrogen, indicated the President of the Republic.
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The stakes are enormous. The state wants to maintain the momentum of Airbus. The Franco-European aircraft manufacturer has established itself in recent years as the world number one in aeronautics ahead of its rival Boeing. It holds two-thirds of the medium-haul market with its best-selling A320 Neo, the best-selling aircraft family in the world. Devices produced for the most part in France.
The other major project led by Emmanuel Macron is to create a French industry for the production and distribution of sustainable aviation fuels (CAD). Despite the gigantic profits made by oil groups like TotalEnergies, the State will still pay out 200 million euros for, as the President of the Republic said: “decarbonize the aviation sector and support the country’s energy sovereignty”.
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