As part of the Airbus Summit, the European aerospace manufacturer signed a partnership agreement with HyPort, a leading green hydrogen company in France. Under the partnership, the two companies will work to support the development of one of the first low-carbon hydrogen production and distribution stations at an airport globally.
Construction of the station, located at Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport (TLS), was completed earlier this year, while the hydrogen production, storage and distribution systems are currently undergoing final testing.
The infrastructure is expected to be operational early next year. According to Airbus, it will have a production capacity of around 400 kilograms of green hydrogen per day, enough to power fifty ground vehicles.
Green hydrogen, an ally for progress towards decarbonisation
Airbus and HyPort aim to implement a deployment plan to expand ground operations powered by this type of fuel. To do so, they will need to adapt production and distribution facilities as well as infrastructure capacity. In a press release, the manufacturer explained that this task is relevant in view of the expected growth in demand for green hydrogen over the next few years.
In addition, the agreement will allow for the development of a plan that details requirements and provides guidance on operational safety, regulatory compliance, the dissemination of the benefits of this type of fuel and the financial investment required for the widespread use of hydrogen at airports.
“Our involvement with HyPort demonstrates the tangible progress Airbus is making on its journey to secure the future energy ecosystems of tomorrow”, said Karine Guenan, VP ZEROe Ecosystem at Airbus “Using hydrogen to decarbonise all airport-associated ground transport in the 2020 to 2030 timeframe will pave the way for hydrogen availability for zero-emission aircraft by 2035”, she added.
See also: Airbus Summit: European manufacturer highlights sustainability agreements
