Aviation company easyJet has completed a “ground-breaking” hydrogen refuelling trial at Bristol Airport in what is a UK first.
The trial, dubbed Project Acorn, used hydrogen to refuel and power ground support equipment (GSE), such as baggage tractors, servicing easyJet passenger aircraft.
Conducted as part of the airline’s daily operations, the trial successfully demonstrated that hydrogen can be used safely and reliably to refuel ground equipment in the busy, live airport environment.
The information and insights collected will be used for research by groups like Hydrogen in Aviation (HIA) to ensure that the UK’s infrastructure, regulations, and policies keep up with the technological advancements in carbon-emission-free flying.
It also supports the work and goals of other organisations, such as Hydrogen South West (HSW) and the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII), which is a co-funder of the project.
Project Acorn has been in development for over a year and has involved many other organisations across aviation, engineering, logistics, and academia. These include Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, Cranfield University, Connected Places Catapult (CPC), DHL Supply Chain, Fuel Cell Systems, the IAAPS research institute, Jacobs, Mulag and TCR.
David Morgan, chief operating officer at easyJet, said: “It’s without doubt that hydrogen will be an important fuel of the future for short-haul aviation, as demonstrated by the rate of innovation we’re seeing.
“While the technology is advancing at an exciting pace, as hydrogen isn’t used in commercial aviation today, there is currently no regulatory guidance in place on how it can and should be used, and so trials like this are very important in building the safety case and providing critical data and insight to inform the development of the industry’s first regulatory framework.
“This will ensure regulation not only keeps pace with innovation, but importantly also supports the industry in meeting its decarbonisation targets by 2050.”
Hydrogen’s role in airport decarbonisation
Hydrogen has been touted as a critical fuel for driving decarbonisation efforts in the aviation industry. For instance, in July 2023, hydrogen aviation company ZeroAvia completed an initial prototype ZA600 – a hydrogen-electric powertrain – flight testing campaign at Cotswold Airport in the UK.
The powertrain was fitted to a Dornier 228 aeroplane and has been regarded as a breakthrough in developing cross-country flights using green hydrogen.
Airports also have a vital role in the development of hydrogen economies both in the UK and globally. Alongside hydrogen-powered aircraft, whether via fuel cells or liquid hydrogen, necessary storage and infrastructure must be implemented to support GSE and vehicles. As such, airports could become hubs for hydrogen technologies.
This perspective saw ScottishPower partner with ZeroAvia to explore developing green hydrogen supply solutions at “key airports”.
The partnership terms see the two companies explore hydrogen infrastructure for airports in a bid to enable hydrogen-electric flight, among other uses. This could be crucial in integrating green hydrogen into the wider aviation industry while creating demand—something that has troubled the technology’s initial takeoff.
Although the specific airports set to benefit from this partnership were not disclosed, ZeroAvia has longstanding ties with AGS Airports, an airport company which owns both Glasgow and Aberdeen airports.
ScottishPower will look to develop green hydrogen solutions to test and power aero-engines using electrolysers backed by 100% renewable power from its UK-based wind farms.
