Airbus, Aena, Air Nostrum, Iberia, Exolum and Repsol have joined forces through a collaboration agreement to study the main challenges posed by the deployment of hydrogen-powered aviation in Spain. It is the first time that a project of this size has brought together the entire industry value chain, from primary energy production to ground operations, aircraft manufacturing, airlines and an airport network.

It is precisely this variety of partners that will give the project a much more comprehensive picture of the hydrogen-powered aircraft's needs and its integration into the airport ecosystem. Its drivers will look at everything from hydrogen supply and infrastructure to the specific requirements of ground operations.

A key objective
One of the partners is European manufacturer Airbus, which launched the Hydrogen Hub at Airports programme to promote the expansion of hydrogen infrastructure in aviation. So far, it has signed agreements with partners and airports in thirteen countries.

The company's sustainability director in Spain, Javier Arnaldo, explained that the decarbonisation of the airline industry "is a key objective for Airbus and the deployment of hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft with their H2 ecosystem is one of those key levers. It is essential that the aviation industry as a whole works together to secure the future supply of hydrogen at airports, especially given Spain's great potential in renewables and low-carbon hydrogen production."

Establishing a roadmap
For Aena's director of sustainability, Ana Salazar, the decarbonisation of air transport "is a priority. This collaboration will provide a broader understanding of how the process of supplying hydrogen to Spanish airports could materialise in the future, in order to establish a roadmap to address the main challenges of introducing this new energy vector in an airport environment."

Air Nostrum's Director of Quality and Environment, María José Sanz, explained, "Our commitment is to be at the side of developers of new technologies aimed at decarbonising air transport. As a regional airline, we can be relevant to the project, as we have the conditions to become an early implementer of hydrogen technology, thanks to the size of our aircraft and the average distances that we fly.

The first steps
In the opinion of Iberia's head of sustainability, Teresa Parejo, "collaboration between the different actors is necessary to make progress in the decarbonisation of the industry. Hydrogen is expected to be part of the future of aviation, which will follow and complement the development of sustainable fuels; to get to that future we must start taking the first steps now.

For his part, Exolum's global strategy and innovation lead, Andrés Suárez, stated that his company is committed "to the development and operation of infrastructure that contributes to driving the energy transition and decarbonisation of air mobility in all areas, and especially to the deployment of hydrogen as a future energy solution for the industry."

Finally, Repsol's senior new business manager, Luis de Oyarzabal, concluded that "renewable hydrogen plays a crucial role in our decarbonisation strategy. We will not only use it in our industrial facilities, but we also see its potential in the field of mobility. To drive this market forward, we believe it is essential to work with the best partners, brought together in this hub, to make the most of the opportunity."

^{Photo: Airbus}