Airbus’ Hydrogen Hubs at Airports initiative includes liquid hydrogen supply, storage, refueling, ground handling, and exploring short-term hydrogen opportunities at Gatwick.
Airbus has collaborated with London Gatwick, easyJet, and Air Products, the leading global hydrogen supplier to bolster hydrogen infrastructure across the UK. This initiative is pivotal as Airbus advances towards its milestone of deploying a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035. The partnership underscores concerted efforts to enhance hydrogen capabilities, ensuring pivotal strides in sustainable aviation technologies within the United Kingdom.
Glenn Llewellyn, Vice President of ZEROe Project, Airbus said, “Our licence to operate hinges on finding better ways to fly. We know hydrogen has the versatility to be an excellent fuel source for decarbonizing the industry. We’ve set ambitious targets to fly on hydrogen by 2035 and this technology needs to be supported by reliable and tested infrastructure. Sharing knowledge and best practices at airports will be critical for building the right hydrogen ecosystem around the world and we look forward to working with all consortium members to develop the support for the technology and end-to-end hydrogen supply chain that will power future flight.”
Under Airbus’ Hydrogen Hubs at Airport’s framework, the initiative encompasses liquid hydrogen procurement and storage at the airport, hydrogen aircraft refueling, and ground handling operations, alongside exploring immediate opportunities for hydrogen utilization at London Gatwick Airport.
Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, London Gatwick, said, “Alongside Sustainable Aviation Fuels, hydrogen stands out as having real potential to help us decarbonise Scope 3 emissions at the airport, particularly for the short haul aircraft that dominate London Gatwick’s operations. In parallel we’ve accelerated our plans and aim to be net zero for the emissions we control – Scope 1 and 2 – ten years early, by 2030. We still have a long way to go and a lot of hard work to do, but today’s exciting partnership is an important early step toward reaching our net zero ambitions.”
Airbus initiated the “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” program to advance the development of hydrogen infrastructure in aviation. Currently, agreements have been executed with partners and airports across 13 countries, encompassing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
David Morgan, Chief Operating Officer, of easyJet, said, “Hydrogen is going to play an important role in decarbonising aviation so we need to lay the groundwork now to make that happen. The Gatwick hub is another positive signal and demonstrates the industry’s intent to both adapt and work together to reach the common goal of decarbonising aviation. Combined with support from regulators and policymakers, I’ve no doubt that projects like this will act as the building blocks to prepare UK airports for a hydrogen transition – something that will be critical to achieving our net zero ambitions.”
easyJet is a British low-cost airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. Known for its affordability and operational efficiency, easyJet serves millions of passengers annually, offering a range of travel options from short-haul flights to popular destinations. The airline focuses on providing value-for-money travel while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability and technological innovation in aviation.
Suzanne Lowe, Vice President and General Manager, United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel and Italy, Air Products, said, “We’re incredibly pleased to contribute Air Products’ decades of experience producing and distributing hydrogen to this exciting project. The Hydrogen Hubs at Airports framework is an important milestone in paving the way for sustainable aviation and future proofing the UK economy. Air Products is committed to helping the UK become a global leader in low carbon hydrogen production. We look forward to collaborating with our partners and government leaders on this project and to unlock further investments in renewable hydrogen. These include our plans for a large-scale renewable hydrogen facility in Immingham.”
Also read: Sabena Technics secures Airbus Defense & Space contract
Establishing adequate infrastructure is crucial for facilitating hydrogen-powered flight, and this partnership represents a significant stride towards realizing this goal in the UK.
