“The Science of Today is the Technology of Tomorrow”
Norway, a Scandinavian country is one of the most beautiful places on the Earth, which encompasses mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. Oslo is the capital of this country, which is a city of green spaces and museums. Norway occupies the western half of the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe and consists of about 50,000 islands.
The shape of Norway, its mountains, severe climate and the scattered population make special demands on the transportation services. The country has partnered with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) which pioneers commercial flights across the northernmost region of the Earth. Many of the private airline companies have added to the increased domestic services in Norway. There are about 97 airports, including small ones for flights that take less than three hours to complete.
Now, Norway is putting a new use to these small airports. Here’s how:
The Ambitious Scheme
On July 2018, Norway’s transport minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen and the head of Avinor, an airport company, Dag Falk-Petersen, flew together in Alpha Electro G2. As the name suggests, the aircraft is entirely powered by electricity. They both flew around Oslo for a few minutes with Falk-Petersen managing the controls of the aircraft.
However, the pair weren’t flying this plane for fun; the flight highlighted Norway’s plan to contribute in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions in the coming years as Norway is planning a fleet of electric aircraft for short-haul flights by 2040. The country already has the largest stock of electric cars in the world and is now intending its aircraft to be powered by electricity.
Advantages of Electric Planes
Electric planes have a few challenges but they may be feasible for short haul flights with basic technical progress. These battery operated planes solve a lot of problems and that is why that idea has been circulating in many companies. Modern aeroplanes are very complex, expensive to operate and require a lot of maintenance. The cost of these planes is dominated by fuel, taxes and fees at the airports. They are also associated with noise as well as pollution.
The entry of electric planes in the aviation industry solves these problems. They are light, simple and require low maintenance. They tend to have long operational life and recharging the batteries is much more convenient as compared to burning tons of fuel. They do not require high altitudes and can cruise efficiently at low as well as high elevation.
These electric planes will cut down aviation’s contribution to the greenhouse gas effect (the gradual heating of the Earth when carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other gases absorb Sun’s energy and prevent it from escaping into outer space) which is the main cause of global warming, one of the threats faced by human beings and other living organisms on the Earth.
Obstacles in The Path
However, these electric planes are not being built yet. Other than this, the aircraft in which Solvik-Olsen and Falk-Petersen flew was very small and barely had room for two fully grown adults. The pair also had to go on strict diets before the flight. But they are hopeful that this barrier won’t last long.
The Future
Norway wants aircraft makers to
build a 25 to 30 seat airliner, powered by batteries. More than 100 powered
aircraft projects are underway around the world and they are expected to be in
service as early as 2025.
Conclusion
Battery powered aircraft have made the leap from fiction to the drawing
board to manufacture. Although there are hindrances and hurdles on the path of
success, it won’t be long before the plan is executed and Norway adds electric
planes to its long list of achievements.
“The Best Way to Predict the Future is to create it”
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