Clean Skies for Tomorrow: Delivering on the Global Power-to-Liquid Ambition

The report identifies power-to-liquid (PtL) as a critical but currently immature sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pathway that can achieve up to 100% greenhouse gas reductions. Scaling PtL requires massive expansions in low-cost renewable electricity and hydrogen production, alongside the development of direct air capture (DAC) technology. The authors argue that PtL's portability allows it to be produced in renewable-rich desert regions and shipped globally, potentially reducing production costs to $1,600–$1,800 per tonne by 2030. Achieving 2050 goals may require cumulative investments of $3–4 trillion, with a primary focus on upstream renewable energy infrastructure.

• Power-to-liquid (PtL) is currently the least technically and commercially ready of the four primary sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pathways, yet it offers the highest potential for greenhouse gas reductions, reaching up to 100% with a fully decarbonized supply chain.
• The cost of PtL production is dominated by feedstocks; by 2030, renewable electricity, hydrogen, and carbon inputs are expected to account for over 75% of total costs, while fuel synthesis represents only about 12%.
• PtL production is energy-intensive with a low well-to-wake efficiency of under 20%, but its portability allows for the use of 'stranded renewables' in remote, sunny regions like the Sahara or Atacama deserts, which could lower 2030 production costs to $1,600–$1,800 per tonne.
• Reducing the levelized cost of renewable hydrogen to below $1 per kilogram would result in an average cost reduction of approximately 40% for PtL by 2030.
• Biogenic carbon sources can serve as a critical bridging solution, with the potential to yield approximately 88 million tonnes of PtL jet fuel annually, covering 20–30% of global demand over the next decade.
• Direct air capture (DAC) is essential for long-term scalability and closing the carbon cycle, with costs projected to decline by 50–80% by 2050 as technology matures and renewable energy costs fall.
• Scaling PtL to meet 30–60% of aviation energy demand by 2050 would require cumulative investments of $3–4 trillion between 2022 and 2050, with 65% of that capital allocated to renewable electricity generation.
• Three critical milestones are required for PtL success: a 30% reduction in renewable electricity costs, a 50% reduction in the cost of high-efficiency technology like solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC), and a 50–80% reduction in DAC costs.

APA

World Economic Forum (2022). Clean Skies for Tomorrow: Delivering on the Global Power-to-Liquid Ambition. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_Power_to_Liquid_Deep_Dive_2022.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Clean Skies for Tomorrow: Delivering on the Global Power-to-Liquid Ambition. 2022. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_Power_to_Liquid_Deep_Dive_2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Clean Skies for Tomorrow: Delivering on the Global Power-to-Liquid Ambition |date=May 2022 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_Power_to_Liquid_Deep_Dive_2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2022clean, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Clean Skies for Tomorrow: Delivering on the Global Power-to-Liquid Ambition}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_Power_to_Liquid_Deep_Dive_2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }