(Hamburg) – The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Hamburg Airport have developed a roadmap for the use of hydrogen at airports. This means the airport can take on “a pioneering role,” says Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport: “We want the energy transition in aviation. There is no way around hydrogen.” If we want to enable the use of this new technology, “we have to ensure that the infrastructure is developed and ready for use when the first aircraft take off.” This requires the willingness not only of the airport and the aircraft developers, but also of politicians.
Systemic approach required
The introduction of hydrogen requires “a systemic approach,” according to the DLR: “The necessary infrastructure on the ground, the hydrogen delivery concepts via land routes, the adaptation of airport processes and also the technology development for aircraft are important prerequisites for success.”
Strategy for Hamburg Airport: Until around 2040, hydrogen will be delivered in small quantities using tankers. In the following years, a pipeline for gaseous hydrogen will be required to supply it. Since aircraft primarily require hydrogen in liquid form for refueling in the long term, a liquefaction system and tanks at the airport are also necessary. © DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
The roadmap that has now been presented shows an example of how this can work - from the expected hydrogen demand, to the supply and the costs that can be expected from today's perspective, to the adaptation of the airport infrastructure and operational changes to the processes, according to a statement. The forecasts of the DLR Institute for Air Transport showed that – assuming appropriate decisions are made by politicians and companies – “the first short-haul flights using hydrogen propulsion could be flown as early as the next decade”. By 2050, the proportion of departures with hydrogen aircraft in Hamburg could rise to 60 percent. This would correspond to an annual hydrogen requirement of 60.000 tons.
In the first few years up to around 2040, experts assume that small quantities of hydrogen will be delivered using tankers. As demand increases, supplementary supply via a pipeline is required. Without such a connection, according to DLR, an average of 2050 trucks per day would be needed to deliver to the airport in 40.
Liquefaction system required
Due to the system, the delivery of the energy source via pipeline must be in gaseous form. However, since aircraft primarily require hydrogen in liquid form for refueling, a liquefaction system is also necessary. However, in addition to the additional space required, this requires very high amounts of renewable electricity to operate.
In addition, there would be cryogenic tanks for storing cryogenic liquids in order to provide a fuel buffer for around three days - as with conventional kerosene. The tanks are still quite rare worldwide and have so far been found primarily in space travel at rocket launch sites; The largest tanks currently exist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Storage in spherical tanks
For physical reasons, storage in a spherical tank is the most efficient solution. Such a storage facility, for example, has a diameter of 34 meters with a capacity of around 400 tons and requires a footprint of around 900 square meters. Such a large tank could be needed at an airport like Hamburg by 2040, and two tanks are expected to be required by 2050.
The DLR and Hamburg Airport developed a roadmap for the introduction of hydrogen at medium-sized airports. From left: Michael Eggenschwiler (Chairman of the Management Board at Hamburg Airport), Meike Jipp (DLR Head of Energy and Transport), Jan Eike Blohme-Hardegen (Head of Environment at Hamburg Airport). © Hamburg Airport
“The delivery and storage of future quantities of hydrogen requires a completely new infrastructure at our airport,” says Jan Eike Blohme-Hardegen, Head of Environment at Hamburg Airport. “We have to start preparing and building now if we want to establish climate-friendly drives in aviation in a timely manner.”
The roadmap was created as part of the “Connected Mobility for Livable Places” (VMo4Orte) project. According to its own statements, the DLR is developing and testing “building blocks for a future-oriented change in the transport system”. The organization is financing VMo4Orte with a total of around 21 million euros over a period of three years. 19 DLR institutes and facilities are involved.
Small aircraft with hydrogen
Already in July, the airport administration announced that Hamburg had been promised support for the “Baltic Sea Region (BSR) HyAirport Project” initiated by Hamburg Airport as part of the EU funding program “Interreg Baltic Sea Program”. The project aims to better connect rural Baltic Sea regions to existing aviation hubs with hydrogen-powered small aircraft. The starting signal is expected to be given in November 2023. The project is planned to last around three years; in addition to Hamburg Airport, a further 16 partners and 24 associated organizations are involved. The budget amounts to up to 4,8 million euros, of which around 1,1 million euros goes to Hamburg Airport.
Important content is the development of the supply chain for green gaseous hydrogen from production to the refueling of aircraft or airport ground equipment as well as test operations. Almost all major airport operators around the Baltic Sea were part of the partnership, including Finavia, Swedavia, Lithuanian Airports, Riga Airport and Tallinn Airport. Since the project aims, among other things, to revive regional air traffic, several smaller airports and regional airlines are also involved, in Germany including Sylt Airport, Sylt Air, Lübeck Air and Lübeck Airport.
drive of the future
According to Jan Eike Hardegen, Head of Environment at Hamburg Airport, gaseous hydrogen is “the drive of the future, especially for smaller aircraft” such as turboprop aircraft with 20 to 30 seats. This would also allow more rural regions of the Baltic Sea states to be connected as needed. At the end of the project period, a real demonstration flight with a hydrogen-powered aircraft from Hamburg is planned.
At the Paris Air Show, Hamburg Airport and Rotterdam The Hague Airport signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a flight route for hydrogen aircraft between the two cities. © Hamburg Aviation
The month before, Flughafen Hamburg GmbH had announced cooperation on a flight connection with Rotterdam The Hague Airport. The aim is to research the feasibility of a flight route for hydrogen-powered aircraft between Hamburg and Rotterdam. The agreement also includes the development of infrastructure for the use of hydrogen. There will probably be a first hydrogen flight between the two cities in 2026. In addition, the MoU also includes cooperation on other technologies, including digitalized airports and digital aviation, renewable energy production and infrastructure, specialized workforce training and intelligent technologies at the airport.
Photos
DLR roadmap: “The first short routes with hydrogen power could be flown from Hamburg in the next decade.” © Hamburg Airport / Oliver Sorg
