STOCKHOLM - European aviation giant Airbus, alongside airport operators Avinor and Swedavia, airline Scandinavian Airlines, and power company Vattenfall, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to investigate the feasibility of a hydrogen infrastructure at airports in Sweden and Norway.
This cooperation will provide a better understanding of hydrogen aircraft concepts and operations, supply, infrastructures, and refueling needs at airports to help develop this hydrogen aviation ecosystem in both countries. The work will also identify the pathways to select which airports will be transformed first to operate hydrogen-powered aircraft in both countries as well as the accompanying regulatory framework. This is the first time that a feasibility study of this kind covers two countries and more than 50 airports.
The use of hydrogen to power future aircraft is expected to significantly reduce aircraft emissions in the air, and could also help decarbonize air transport activities on the ground. In 2020, Airbus unveiled the first ZEROe concept with the ambition to bring to market the world's first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035.
“Hydrogen stands out as a key enabler as we pioneer a sustainable aviation future.” said Guillaume Faury, CEO Airbus “Norway and Sweden are among the most demanding regions for aviation and have great potential for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. I am very pleased to enter into this cooperation with partners fully engaged to take significant steps towards decarbonizing aerospace. It fits perfectly with our strategy of deploying hydrogen aviation ecosystems in the most suitable parts of the world.”
”We want to enable industry decarbonization. Aviation is a hard-to-abate industry where breaking away from fossil fuels is a huge challenge today. This cross-border collaboration however demonstrates the willingness to bring about change. We look forward to contributing with expertise in electricity market development, electrical infrastructure, and hydrogen production in Sweden”, said Anna Borg, President and CEO, Vattenfall.
Airbus also launched the “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” program to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations, across the entire value chain. To date, agreements have been signed with partners and airports in ten countries including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
