Airports need to ‘get hydrogen ready’, says Jacobs

‘Airports as Catalysts for Decarbonisation’ sets out a roadmap for airports to implement hydrogen fuelling technologies, building on the technical consultancy’s work for the Aeronautical Technology Institute FlyZero Report, ‘Airports, Airlines and Airspace - Operations and Hydrogen Infrastructure’.

Due to the length of time needed to plan, design, consult and implement new airport infrastructure, Jacobs urges airports to make provisions ahead of the first commercially available hydrogen-powered aircraft expected in the early to mid-2030s.

The company identified three scenarios for the supply and storage of hydrogen to help airports transition: the delivery of liquid hydrogen directly to the airport by truck (scenario one), the use of a hydrogen gas pipeline with on-site liquefaction (scenario two) and the use of electrolysis for hydrogen production on site at the airport (scenario three).

These scenarios can be utilised by airports on their own and also provide a route to scaling up hydrogen availability over time, Jacobs said. For example, a large airport may start by implementing scenario one for fuelling aircraft whilst the required infrastructure for the implementation of scenario two or three is being built.