Air Liquide and Groupe ADP to develop hydrogen infrastructure at airports

With this ambition of creating the first engineering JV dedicated to accompanying airports in their project to integrate hydrogen in their infrastructure, Air Liquide and Groupe ADP are strengthening their collaboration. This announcement follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2021 to carry out feasibility studies to accompany the arrival of hydrogen-powered aircraft. This partnership project demonstrates the Groups’ shared ambition to act now to pave the way for decarbonised air transport worldwide.

The purpose of this 50:50 JV will be to provide airports in France and across the world with the engineering and services they will need in their transition to hydrogen. As the first hydrogen-powered commercial aircrafts are expected by 2035, airports need to start reconsidering their infrastructure as of today. In particular, they must look at how liquid hydrogen will be supplied and how it can also serve other ground mobility usages, notably heavy-duty mobility or light ground support equipment.

The services provided will allow airports to meet all the challenges they will face to integrate hydrogen, including:

• Estimated volumes of hydrogen required over time.
• The optimal hydrogen supply chain based on the airport’s specific characteristics and location.
• Scope and pre-installation work for the hydrogen infrastructure required at the airport.
• Preliminary safety studies.
• Cost studies and investment road maps.
• Carbon impact assessments.

In 2021, Air Liquide and Groupe ADP initiated a first collaboration, together with Airbus, to carry out a year-long study into the configurations of 30 airports worldwide, with a particular focus on Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly. Preliminary studies confirmed hydrogen’s potential to decarbonise aviation, identifying several production and supply chain patterns that can be integrated in airport infrastructures. Thanks to this cooperation, the companies have developed unique expertise in the infrastructure sizing and pre-implementation phases that will be required at airports for this transformation.

Air Liquide will bring to the JV its expertise in hydrogen, from production through electrolysis, liquefaction, storage to the distribution of hydrogen to aircraft. Groupe ADP will contribute its expertise in airport engineering and know-how in airport operations.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/15062022/air-liquide-and-groupe-adp-to-develop-hydrogen-infrastructure-at-airports/