Canada’s airports launch hydrogen feasibility study

A new hydrogen study will help determine how three major Canadian airports can grow sustainable initiatives in the next decade. [caption id="attachment_98545" align="alignleft" width="300"] An aerial view of Vancouver International Airport shows British Columbia's green landscape. (Courtesy/Can Stock)[/caption] Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) signed a memorandum of understanding on May 21 with Airbus and electric aircraft manufacturer ZeroAvia for a hydrogen feasibility study to determine how to incorporate hydrogen technologies into airport infrastructure and significantly reduce carbon emissions, according to a release from YVR. YVR hopes to achieve net zero by 2030 — 20 years before IATA ’s target, YVR media spokesperson Megan Sutton told Air Cargo Next . H2 benefits Hydrogen technologies are still rudimentary; however, hydrogen, an ample resource, could help reduce or even eradicate carbon emissions in aviation through multiple means including as an alternative to jet fuel, because hydrogen fuel’s only byproduct is water, Richard “Pat” Anderson , professor of aerospace engineering and director of the Eagle Flight Research Center at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University , previously told Air Cargo Next . “There’s two ways of using hydrogen on an airplane ,” he said. “You can actually burn it in an engine, similar to the way they do it with regular gas, or you can run it through a fuel cell and make electricity and run on the electric motor. … Regardless, you need lots of hydrogen Hydrogen is the most abundant element on Earth. It produces about three times more energy than jet kerosene in liquid form, buis not widely used in aviation yet, according to IATA. Hydrogen can also help electrify warehouse operations and airport vehicles , according to a release from Airbus. “ We do believe that the use of hydrogen as a fuel for aircraft is a forward-looking solution, which will certainly help ... achieve [the] ambitious but realistic organizational sustainability goals in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions , as well as those of our industry,” Eric Forest , spokesperson for YUL, told Air Cargo Next . Region of resources Canada’s air sector is projected to grow by 51% in the next two decades, with an increase of 38 million passengers, according to IATA. This means the country needs to improve its sustainability initiatives, according to a release from Airbus. Through regional collaboration, the feasibility study aims to determine what hydrogen technologies can be realistically integrated at the airports, the Airbus release stated. YVR in Vancouver, British Columbia, is ideally located for this study, Sutton said, because: British Columbia is home to the largest hydrogen fuel sector in Canada, with 51% of Canadian hydrogen companies located in the region; With an expected ramp-up in demand for hydrogen fuels, British Columbia is working to provide market certainty to the hydrogen ecosystem, establishing a potential supply chain and future cleantech jobs across the province; and YVR has a dedicated innovation hub that can test and develop hydrogen technologies. “This partnership will also allow our organization not only to better prepare for the introduction of this alternative in our airport operations, but above all, to adequately plan the infrastructure required to offer it at YUL as early as 2035,” YUL’s Forest said. “The sharing of best practices between Canadian airports, including Toronto Pearson and Vancouver, and the pooling of our respective findings will undoubtedly be beneficial and will eventually enable us to better serve our respective communities.” A timeline has nobeen set for the feasibility study nor have specific projects been announced. Register here for Air Cargo Next ’s upcoming webinar, “Air Cargo and Pharma: Using Technology to Save Lives,” on Tuesday, June 18, at 11 a.m. ET. Air Cargo Next has launched a business directory listing cargo carriers, service providers and technology companies. Each category has sub-categories, allowing users to find the right business to meet their needs. Users can also add their businesses to the directory and claim existing entries. Visit the Air Cargo Next Directory.

Canada’s airports launch hydrogen feasibility study

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