Zero: The Climate Race
The sleek, fuel-saving airplanes coated with synthetic shark skin
Sep 5, 2024
Akshat Rathi, a senior reporter at Bloomberg Green, dives into innovative climate solutions with founders Henry Bilinsky of MicroTau and Steven Vassiloudis of Novalith. They discuss MicroTau’s shark skin-inspired film that enhances airplane aerodynamics to save fuel and reduce emissions. Vassiloudis explains Novalith's cleaner lithium manufacturing process to tackle environmental challenges. Together, they highlight the optimism and hurdles of developing sustainable technologies amidst the race for net-zero carbon emissions.
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Quick takeaways
- MicroTau's shark skin-inspired plastic film aims to reduce airplane fuel consumption by 4%, demonstrating the potential for nature-inspired innovation in aviation.
- Novolith intends to revolutionize lithium extraction by using carbonic acid, potentially creating a cleaner, more sustainable supply chain for electric vehicle batteries.
Deep dives
Innovative Shark Skin Technology
A startup has developed a textured plastic film that mimics the unique surface of shark skin to reduce drag on airplanes. This innovative product aims to improve fuel efficiency, potentially lowering fuel consumption by about 4% per flight. Although this may seem modest, scaling this technology across the global aviation industry could lead to substantial savings in fuel and emissions. This initiative reflects a growing trend toward integrating nature-inspired designs to enhance efficiency in various sectors.
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