Exeter Airport demonstrates hydrogen-powered aircraft

In a first of its kind for the UK, the trial, delivered by a partnership of Exeter Airport, TUI, Cranfield University, ULEMCo, MULAG, Boeing, and supported by the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Hydrogen Challenge programme, saw a TUI Boeing 737 passenger aircraft undergo a turnaround using ground support equipment powered by green hydrogen.

The live demonstration involved a hydrogen-powered baggage tug, pushback tug, and ground power unit (GPU). It is the first time in the UK that multiple pieces of hydrogen-powered equipment have been used simultaneously for a commercial air transport operational aircraft and using green hydrogen from renewable energy sources.

Refuelling of the equipment was conducted using a HyQube 350 refueller, supplied by Fuel Cell Systems Ltd, using green hydrogen, produced and supplied by Protium.

Contributing to an academic study led by Cranfield University, UK, the learnings from the trial are expected to help shape the future safety and regulatory framework for the airside handling of hydrogen, paving the way for hydrogen-fuelled aircraft.

The trial forms part of the CAA’s wider Hydrogen Challenge, funded through the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, which is overseen by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology. The fund has most recently supported a diverse range of projects aimed at enabling UK regulators and local authorities to help create a UK regulatory environment that encourages business innovation and investment.

The Hydrogen Challenge initiative supports the government’s net zero ambitions by enabling safe, early adoption of low- and zero-emission aviation technology and infrastructure. The programme brings together regulators, academia, and industry to address the regulatory, safety, and operational challenges of introducing hydrogen into aviation.

In preparation for the trial, a comprehensive study of Exeter Airport’s ground handling operations during aircraft turnarounds was conducted by Cranfield University in partnership with Exeter Airport and TUI.

The study showed that over 78 000 l of diesel fuel were consumed in a 12-month period, resulting in nearly 200 t of CO₂ equivalent emissions. GPUs, which provide electrical power to aircraft when they are parked on stand, emerged as the single largest source of emissions, accounting for nearly 39% of the total. The trial at Exeter Airport used vehicles retrofitted with different hydrogen technologies: hydrogen fuel cell (baggage tractor), hydrogen internal combustion (aircraft tug), and a hybrid dual-fuel (hydrogen-diesel) GP.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/01052025/exeter-airport-demonstrates-hydrogen-powered-aircraft/