Hydrogen aviation project takes off in Norway
The collaboration aims to develop a better understanding of hydrogen aircraft concepts, operations, supply, infrastructure and refuelling needs at airports to support the development of the hydrogen ecosystem for aviation in both countries. The partners also plan to 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.
The first step will be a one-year feasibility study involving two countries and more than 50 airports, which is the most extensive project of its kind so far. The partners aim to completely decarbonise and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
“Hydrogen stands out as a key enabler as we strive to 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.”
In 2019, a similar project took taken off called the ‘Nordic Network for Electric Aviation‘, which explored the use of electric aircraft in aviation across the Scandinavian nations and had backing from several regional flight operators such as Finnair and SAS. Targets of the project included standardisation of infrastructure for the region as well as the development of business models for regional connectivity within and between countries.
For Airbus, this is not the first such venture, as the company has been active in various projects to eliminate its carbon footprint. Incidentally, the company managed to launch its first hydrogen aeroplane just recently, as well as joining a hydrogen aviation alliance in the UK last September. By 2035, Airbus wants to offer commercial flights with hydrogen aircraft.
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