The initiative is part of the Zero Carbon Turn Project, a collaboration between airport owner Regional and City Airports, TUI and Cranfield University.
The project aims to demonstrate the capabilities and potential applications of hydrogen in airport ground operations and pave the way for future integration of hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Exeter Airport’s GSE operations during aircraft turnarounds were studied by Cranfield University in partnership with TUI.
The study found that over 78,000 litres of diesel was consumed in a 12-month period resulting in nearly 200 tonnes of CO2e emissions.
GPUs providing electrical power to aircraft when they are parked on the stand were the single largest source of emissions, responsible for nearly 39% of the total.
The trials planned for Autumn this year will test GSE including a hydrogen-powered GPU, pushback tug and baggage tractor.
The baggage tractor has been retrofitted with a hydrogen fuel cell, the aircraft tug has hydrogen internal combustion and the GPU is a hybrid dual-fuel mix of hydrogen and diesel.
Stephen Wiltshire, Managing Director of Exeter Airport, said: “This project represents a significant step towards our goal of decarbonising airport ground operations. By adopting hydrogen technology, we not only reduce emissions in the short term but also support the long-term transition to hydrogen-powered aircraft. The new government has committed to supporting more sustainability in the aviation sector and we hope to demonstrate how that can happen in practice.”
Dr Thomas Budd, Associate Professor for Airport Decarbonisation at Cranfield University, added: “There is still much that we need to learn about hydrogen technology and operations at airports, but projects like this demonstrate what can be achieved with close collaboration and alignment between industry, academia, and the regulator. This work represents another important step in the journey to decarbonisation, and it should provide encouragement for the future of hydrogen as a zero emissions fuel for air transport.”
The demonstration phase aims to address challenges related to safely supplying, storing and delivering hydrogen for GSE, and to develop airport-specific standards and regulations, identify necessary skills and training, and establish a pathway to convert existing GSE to hydrogen power.
The trials are supported by ULEMCo, MULAG, Globe Fuel Cells and Fuel Cell Systems, with funding from the Connected Places Catapult and collaboration with the UK Civil Aviation Authority as part of its Hydrogen Challenge Sandbox initiative.
