The Engineer in Conversation: Pioneer Bertrand Piccard is building an ‘aircraft of hope’

We can only tackle the major challenges of our time with a pioneering spirit and a drive for innovation, says Bertrand Piccard. As a descendant of a famous Swiss family of adventurers, he himself has been leading by example for many years. With Climate Impulse, his aim is not only to fly non-stop and emission-free around the world, but above all to inspire others.

Few aviation pioneers still active today have such an impressive track record as Bertrand Piccard. In 1999, the Swiss psychiatrist and adventurer made the first non-stop round-the-world balloon flight aboard the Breitling Orbiter. This was followed in 2015–2016 by Solar Impulse, in which he became the first person to fly round the world in a solar-powered aeroplane. His latest project is called Climate Impulse, which aims to achieve a completely emission-free flight round the world in an aeroplane powered by liquid green hydrogen. De Ingenieur spoke to him in Paris, on the sidelines of the major technology fair VivaTech. ‘It may well take another thirty years before large commercial passenger aircraft fly on hydrogen,’ says Piccard, born in 1958 as the son of the oceanographer Jacques Piccard (1922–2008) and the grandson of physicist, inventor and deep-sea diver Auguste Piccard (1884–1962). ‘Nevertheless, we must start working on this today. If we put it off for a single day, it will take another thirty years and one day.’

Ten years ago, you completed the first round-the-world flight in a solar-powered aeroplane. The Wright brothers, you said at the time, could never have imagined during their first, tentative flight just how rapidly aviation would develop within ten years. If we take stock of Solar Impulse ten years on: what has that flight achieved?

‘The Solar Impulse Foundation has now compiled and certified 1,600 technical solutions that are good for the environment and, moreover, are already profitable. That would never have happened without that flight. Climate Impulse is also a concrete result of that earlier project. We hope to carry out the first test flights early next year. And my Solar Impulse co-pilot, AndrĂ© Borschberg, has developed a two-seater electric aeroplane with his company H55 and is now scaling up production. Of course, an electric aeroplane for thirty passengers doesn’t exist yet. But so many companies are now working on it that I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a reality in five or ten years’ time.’

Why did you choose hydrogen as the fuel for Climate Impulse?

‘Our goal is the ultimate flight: non-stop, round the world, emission-free. My flight in the Breitling Orbiter hot-air balloon was non-stop, it’s true, but emissions were high because of the liquid propane we were burning. The Solar Impulse flight was emission-free, but it required sixteen stopovers and, all in all, took a year and a half. That wasn’t practical. For a non-stop solar flight, the weight of the batteries required would make the aircraft too heavy to take off. SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) derived from renewable sources is an improvement on kerosene, but not a truly emission-free solution. When burnt, thatCO₂ ends up back in the atmosphere. Liquid green hydrogen is quite simply the only fuel that allows us to fly completely emission-free. It has a high energy density, which is essential for long-haul flights, and the only emission is water vapour.’

Designing a hydrogen-powered aeroplane capable of flying non-stop round the world is a huge technical challenge. How do you intend to achieve that?

‘Simple projects attract lazy people. Only the very best people are drawn to difficult projects. A seemingly impossible task like ours attracts pioneers, disruptorsand innovators who want to change the world. We also have a large network of partners. Syensqo, a spin-off from the chemicals group Solvay, supplies the composite materials, fuel cell membranes and the necessary adhesives, and is also actively involved in building the aeroplane. Telecoms and IT group Orange is developing a digital twin to simulate the aircraft’s behaviour under various conditions. And Airbus carried out a feasibility study before we announced the project. The conclusion: it’s possible, but only if the aerodynamics are adapted. Airbus specialists then created a completely new design for us themselves.’

Many engineers start their careers full of ideals, but later end up in jobs that do little to contribute to a better world. How can this be explained?

‘This is a fundamentally human problem, related to the second law of thermodynamics. A closed system always evolves towards maximum entropy, or disorder. To counteract this, you need negentropy: energy from outside the system. People are no different. Without inspiration, without motivation, without the need to do things differently, we remain in our comfort zone. That is why I devote my life to pioneering: to show people that we can do better. Take the engineers behind Solar Impulse. At the time, they spoke of ‘the project of a lifetime’, because they were able to innovate, invent and build. But once it was over, they returned to the ‘normal’ world. They said it wasn’t easy to maintain that drive for innovation. ‘In a system that doesn’t reward change, it’s difficult to maintain that pioneering spirit.’

Your projects are highly ambitious. How do you distinguish between pipe dreams and realistic ambitions?

‘Before we launch a project, we carry out thorough preliminary research. For Solar Impulse, the École polytechnique fĂ©dĂ©rale de Lausanne (EPFL) conducted a feasibility study: nine months’ work by eighteen laboratories, involving around eighty scientists and engineers. Only when it was clear that the technological challenges could be overcome did we get started. We took the same approach with the Climate Impulse team. We first held discussions with Airbus and with specialists in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells. Only when all parties confirmed that it was feasible did we set out. But let’s be honest: we can never be certain it will succeed. This is an adventure, not a business plan. But it is an adventure with a solid scientific basis.’

Why is the transition to sustainable technology progressing so slowly?

‘We live in a world that relies on solutions from the past, even though better alternatives already exist. Take the internal combustion engine. According to Carnot’s laws, it has a maximum efficiency of 27 per cent. My electric motors in Solar Impulse achieved 97 per cent. Yet we continue to cling to inefficient systems: poorly insulated buildings, outdated industrial processes, dirty fossil fuels – all technologies invented 120 years ago. The problem is not a lack of solutions, but clinging to outdated, inefficient and polluting technologies – which are, moreover, more expensive because they waste energy, raw materials and money. It really is high time we said goodbye to the fuels of the past.’

Who should take the lead in the transition?

‘Firstly, we must all stop shouting “problem, problem, problem” and instead shout “solution, solution, solution”. Above all, let’s start implementing the existing solutions, because there are plenty of them. Secondly: pioneers must show what is possible. Climate Impulse is one such pioneering project: funded by sponsorship and research grants, not by commercial investment. We’re demonstrating what’s possible. Only then is it up to industry to take action. Once a technology has been proven, industry can scale it up and commercialise it. Europe made the mistake of allowing industry to invest massively in hydrogen straight away. But industry is not a pioneer – that’s what we must be.’

When will you consider Climate Impulse a success?

‘Not when I’ve completed my zero-emission, non-stop flight round the world, but only when large commercial aircraft are flying on hydrogen. That could take thirty years: certified aircraft, with liquid hydrogen available at airports worldwide. But that is precisely why we must start today. Because if we only start tomorrow, it will take thirty years and one day. And if we don’t start, it will never happen.’

What distinguishes those who change the world from those who merely build impressive technology?

‘The crucial difference is the mission, the goal. I am not only an adventurer, but also a doctor and a psychiatrist. For me, the quality of life on this planet is the most important thing of all. Technology can save the world or destroy it. Take nuclear energy: we can build nuclear power stations for clean electricity or atomic bombs for destruction. Take artificial intelligence: we can halve global energy consumption by efficiently integrating renewable energy, or use AI for faster streaming on our phones. Entrepreneurs must ask themselves: how does my technology contribute to a better world? Not: how can I make money from it? Anyone who focuses solely on spectacular technology without a purpose will never truly make a difference.’

Are you optimistic about the future?

‘I’m a realist. Optimists think problems will sort themselves out; pessimists think there are no solutions. Realists seek solutions, regardless of ideology, because ideologies often get in the way. Some say: “Ecology is a sacrifice; it’s expensive and boring.” Others say: ‘Industry is always polluting.’ Both are wrong. We need everyone: oil companies diversifying into hydrogen, activists who emphasise the solutions rather than the problems, and governments that encourage innovation. Only by working together can we succeed. Climate Impulse could lead to a fossil-free aviation sector that allows us to do things that once seemed impossible: take off like a rocket, switch off the engines after fifteen minutes at an altitude of one hundred kilometres, and fly from Paris to Australia in two hours – completely clean. That is the future we can achieve.’