Photo: Airbus
A new European research project, PACIFIC (Particle emissions, Air Quality and Climate Impact related to Fuel Composition and Engine Cycle), has been launched to study aviation’s non-CO2 emissions, with a particular focus on contrails. Led by Airbus, the initiative involves...
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A new European research project, PACIFIC (Particle emissions, Air Quality and Climate Impact related to Fuel Composition and Engine Cycle), has been launched to study aviation’s non-CO2 emissions, with a particular focus on contrails. Led by Airbus, the initiative involves 11 partners from four European countries and is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. The project, which began in January 2025 and runs until June 2028, aims to improve the modelling and prediction of contrail formation and aviation’s broader climate impact. The findings are expected to inform future fuel specifications and policy recommendations to minimise aviation’s environmental footprint.
PACIFIC will examine how fuel composition and engine cycles influence particle emissions through laboratory and full-scale aircraft ground testing. Studies suggest that using Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) may reduce soot particles and contrail ice crystals, but further research is needed to understand the relationship between fuel composition, engine performance, and emissions. The project will test a wide range of fuels under controlled conditions to ensure consistency in combustion parameters and hardware, from lab-scale experiments at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to full engine tests at Airbus Toulouse.
The research will focus on understanding soot formation during fuel combustion, refining predictive tools to assess its presence in emissions. It will also analyse the quantity of fine particles released at different engine power levels, improving estimates of their impact from ground tests to real flight conditions. Another key aspect involves studying how these particles contribute to ice crystal formation, a significant factor in contrail development, using advanced measurement techniques. Additionally, the project will assess the broader climate effects of these emissions by examining how different fuel compositions and engine settings influence contrail formation and their role in global warming.
The results will contribute to a cost-benefit assessment of various fuel options and support the development of new fuel specifications aimed at reducing aviation’s impact on climate and air quality. Airbus Chief Technology Officer Sabine Klauke stated, “Addressing aviation's non-CO2 emissions is critical in our journey toward truly sustainable flight. Through collaborative science-based approaches and innovative technologies, we're committed to minimising these effects while maintaining operational efficiency. The PACIFIC project will quantify and measure the non-CO2 emissions emitted from various SAF compositions. Using an innovative ground experiment process, we will be able to replicate conditions without delay and repeat them if needed. We look forward to the results of this multi-year project.”
The consortium includes four industry partners—Airbus (France), Rolls-Royce Deutschland (Germany), Rolls-Royce PLC (UK), and Neste (Finland). It also involves the research organisation DLR (Germany), four universities—Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany), the University of Helsinki (Finland), Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), and the University of Sheffield (UK)—as well as the French SME Erdyn Consultants SAS.
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