A collaboration between Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Rotterdam the Hague Innovation Airport as well as Shell and ZeroAvia will advance plans for hybrid hydrogen-electric flight by 2025 under a vision of making guilt-free flying a reality.
As part of the agreement, those involved will develop a concept of operations for hydrogen in airports and demonstration flights to European destinations by as early as the end of 2024 and gearing up for commercial passenger flights a year later in 2025.
The focus initially will be on serving the first hydrogen flight from Rotterdam, including operation at the airport, developing the on-the-ground infrastructure and operations to satisfactorily pilot distribution, storage and dispensing of hydrogen for aviation, leading towards decarbonising the whole airport ecosystem.
Ultimately, the project aims to support aircraft operations using gaseous hydrogen to fuel ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric, zero-emission ZA600 engines. Demonstration flights using a 19-seat aircraft are expected to take place from Rotterdam to airports in Europe within a 250 nautical mile radius. The project will also target the development of standards and protocol around safety, refuelling and hydrogen management. Shell is already working with airports to develop fit-for-future infrastructure that will allow it to supply customers with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen and electric aircraft charging using so called ‘multi-modular’ infrastructure.
Wilma Van Dijk, CEO, Rotterdam The Hague Airport said: “Hydrogen is key to decarbonise aviation. This collaboration helps us demonstrate and validate new airport infrastructure requirements as well as concepts of operation. And hence accelerate and stimulate airport transformation towards zero-emission.”
Dijk was joined by Miranda Janse, CEO Rotterdam the Hague Innovation Airport, who noted that, “RHIA is always keen to drive innovation and sustainable aviation developments at RTHA together with and for a network of partners. RHIA is actively working with partners within its DutchH2 Aviation Hub programme to develop hydrogen-driven flights from RTHA. This collaboration is one of the projects within the programme that helps us create the open-access infrastructure required for the sector.”
