Climate change
mitigation

The aerospace industry is involved in an exciting transformation process with clearly defined challenges in the European Union to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

In this context, Aciturri ratified in 2022 its commitment to the development of a sustainable aeronautical industry as a founding member of Clean Aviation, the public-private initiative of reference at EU level for the development of new aeronautical technologies, with the aim of achieving a net reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) of no less than 30%. This position allows the company to participate both in the decision-making bodies and in the implementation of projects for the development of technological solutions focused on reducing emissions from future aircraft in three areas: hybrid electric aircraft, ultra fuel-efficient aircraft and hydrogen propulsion. Aciturri has assumed the role of H2elios project coordinator in 2022 and is part of the consortiums driving the Newborn, Herwingt and FasterH2 projects.

"Aciturri has ratified in 2022 its commitment to the development of a sustainable aerospace industry as a Clean Aviation founding member."

Regarding product development and the new processes improvement and implementation, the company's team maintains an intense activity in close collaboration with customers, research centers, universities and aerospace companies. The twelve R&D&I projects in which the company was already involved will be joined by six more in 2022 (see R&D&I section), in such diverse fields as the development of liquid hydrogen tanks, a new thermoplastic aileron solution, or the design, development and manufacturing of aerostructures for a new, more efficient and sustainable helicopter concept.

In the ongoing transformation of the industry, hydrogen has positioned itself as the main alternative to the use of fossil fuels. In this field, Aciturri has activated several projects for the development of hydrogen storage and transport solutions, as well as for in-flight storage with the aim of facilitating the transition to long-range hydrogen-powered flights.

"Aciturri has launched several projects both for the development of hydrogen storage and transport solutions, as well as for in-flight fuel storage."

At the same time, the company contributes to accelerating the development of new sustainable mobility concepts. Aciturri has consolidated, in 2022, its position as a reference supplier of the Lilium Jet airframe, the first vertical take-off and landing aircraft with zero emissions and powered exclusively by electric energy, and has reached an agreement with Deutsche Aircraft for the supply of different components for the D328ecoTM , a more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly aircraft that aims to drive the future of aviation towards a goal of zero-emission flight.

Furthermore, Aciturri renewed its commitment as a Bound4blue investor in 2022 to support the project for the development and implementation of rigid sails in the marine transportation industry with the purpose of increasing the use of wind as a propulsion means.

Aware of the impact on the communities in which it operates, Aciturri has been using its carbon footprint as the main indicator of the environmental impact of its operations since 2016. Since then, the company has been taking steps to develop an exhaustive analysis process that allows it to identify and calculate the integral scope of its carbon footprint, incorporating in addition to direct emissions, those not directly related to manufacturing, known as indirect emissions of the activity or scope 3. Having passed the verification process by an independent third party that accredits the rigor of the methodology used, Aciturri completed in 2022 the registration process of its carbon footprint at the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Change (MITECO) and has continued working with the objective of reducing its emissions through the internal environmental awareness plan "Let's talk about carbon", the activation of energy efficiency plans and the design of the future Aciturri Decarbonization Plan.

Also in 2022, the company began to generate its own electricity with the implementation of photovoltaic installations on the rooftops of the Boecillo (Valladolid) and Tres Cantos (Madrid) facilities, the first of the company to join this self-consumption model. This action will reduce Aciturri's overall CO2 emissions by 543 tons per year, which represents an 8.5% reduction in the carbon footprint associated with the use of energy and a 1.7% reduction in the company's total footprint.

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Sustainability Report 2022