Cut the Hydrogen Hype – Embrace Hemp for SAF
Westminster has returned from half term. And although there was no let-up here at Tenacious Towers, I did get time to read the odd newspaper report. One got me particularly stirred up.
Christopher Jasper’s excellent article (The Telegraph 19th Feb) “Hydrogen planes were meant to deliver net zero. Those plans are being torn up,” provides a stark reminder of the challenges in hydrogen-based aviation – and the need for us to speedily start looking for answers elsewhere. Hydrogen’s technical challenges (particularly its need for cryogenic storage at -250°C, along with the immense investment required in electrolysis, liquefaction, and distribution infrastructure blah) are proving too formidable to deliver a near-term solution.
Now, as a former secretariat to the Westminster APPG for Industrial Hemp, I've witnessed firsthand the policy debates and opportunities in our sector. And industrial hemp offers a far more practical and immediate alternative for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) than hydrogen. Hemp can yield up to 80 gallons of oil per acre, can sequester 9–13 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare (Energy .gov, 2023; EIHA, 2024), and requires significantly less water and nitrogen than many other crops.
While hydrogen’s promise is receding — with major players like Airbus and Boeing scaling back on their hydrogen ambitions — hemp is ready for the market now. Hemp-derived SAF can cut lifecycle emissions by up to 80% (IJSR, 2025) and also supports broader industrial applications, including green construction, bioplastics, batteries, and animal feed. You can also stick hemp biodiesel into ships, dramatically cutting carbon dioxide emissions, bringing the marine industry closer to its own net-zero goals.
But we need to invest in scaling hemp production and developing robust supply chains if we are to meet these looming net-zero deadlines. It’s time for policymakers to pivot from unfulfilled hydrogen dreams...
...and embrace the practical, sustainable and actual promise of industrial hemp.
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hashtag#SustainableAviationFuel hashtag#IndustrialHemp hashtag#NetZero
You can read the Telegraph article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/02/19/plans-for-hydrogen-powered-jets-are-being-torn-up/?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_first
