Although the air ambulance industry only forms a small part of the aviation industry, it is still a part of it. The aviation industry on the whole contributes about 2% of all human-generated carbon dioxide – in other words, about 915 million tonnes of it. There have been several attempts to contain this pollution. For instance, the air ambulance industry has been increasingly looking at electric-powered aircraft. Besides, drones are being tested to carry out tasks that an air ambulance normally undertakes. However, the success has been limited and the impact minimal as of now.
Air Ambulance Industry and Green Fuel
Speaking of green fuel, hydrogen is one thing that comes to mind. Considered the cleanest form of fuel, hydrogen can definitely transform the scene for the air ambulance industry. However, the production of hydrogen itself is not green and it can produce as much CO2 as fossil fuels. The net green advantage, therefore, is zero. That said, not all hope is lost. There is also carbon-neutral hydrogen, but disappointingly, it makes for only about 1% of the global production. This clean hydrogen is produced by electrolyzing water. The reason that it is not currently popular is its cost. The air ambulance industry might not be able to adopt it due to this fact.
What About Liquefied Natural Gas?
Liquefied natural gas or LNG is something that the air ambulance industry can look at if there is a change in the fuel infrastructure. It will take a holistic infrastructural change in the aviation industry for air ambulance services to adopt it. However, if it is achieved, the carbon footprint can be brought down to a huge extent. LNG is known to emit up to 30% less CO2. Besides, it can bring down the nitrous oxide emissions by up to 80%. It is also much lighter than conventional aviation fuel.
It can be safely said that its options galore today. All it takes is a bit of will to adopt.
