Exploring Hydrogen Infrastructure at Three Airports in Japan
Key Ideas
- Airbus, Kansai Airports, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have signed an MoU to study hydrogen infrastructure at three Japanese airports.
- The partnership aims to introduce hydrogen aircraft, define a hydrogen infrastructure roadmap, and evaluate feasibility based on various factors.
- The initiative includes a liquid hydrogen demand forecast, with potential for several hundred tons per day by 2050, supporting decarbonisation goals.
- The collaboration signifies a step towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and the development of hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035.
Airbus, Kansai Airports, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have inked a Memorandum of Understanding to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen infrastructure at three airports in Japan - Kansai International, Osaka International, and Kobe. The collaboration will focus on assessing the potential introduction of hydrogen aircraft as part of Airbus's Hydrogen Hub at Airports programme. The partnership intends to define a hydrogen infrastructure and supply roadmap tailored to the specific aircraft and airport characteristics at the three airports. This will involve evaluating the technological, economic, legal, and operational aspects, with potential demonstration projects and policy recommendations in the pipeline. Airbus and its partners foresee a significant demand for liquid hydrogen to support aircraft operations, aiming for several hundred tons per day by 2050. The partnership between the companies is seen as a crucial step towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and contributing to the decarbonisation of the aviation industry. The ultimate goal is to develop and introduce hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035, with the groundwork for this initiative already underway within a global Research & Technology network.