Airbus and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to look into using hydrogen as an aviation fuel.
Under the MOU, the company and city-state will look into the demand and production of alternative aviation fuels and how these may contribute to decarbonisation.
The first project under the MOU will be a feasibility study of using an airport as a hydrogen hub and the infrastructure requirements to support future hydrogen-powered aircraft operations.
The study will look at everything including the production, storage and distribution of hydrogen, aircraft ground services, logistical equipment, and refuelling systems and is set to kick off next year and run until 2024.
“Decarbonisation is a key priority for international aviation. Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will not be a return to business-as-usual but an opportunity to rebuild an aviation sector that is more sustainable. It is not a question of whether but of how to make flying greener and developing concrete pathways to achieve that goal while ensuring that air travel is still accessible,” says Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS.
“Airbus is committed to leading the decarbonisation of the aviation sector and aims to deliver the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035,” says Ms Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer, Airbus.
“The decarbonisation of our industry requires a combination of approaches, hydrogen being one of them, and will need unprecedented cross-sector collaboration to create the new aviation infrastructure ecosystem. We are therefore pleased to have CAAS as a partner, as we embark on this exciting journey.”
There is growing interest in using hydrogen as an aviation fuel with companies such as ZeroAvia already planning to begin commercial flights between London and Rotterdam in 2024.
However, while the ZeroAvia flights will use smaller 19-seat aircraft, it seems likely that Airbus will be thinking bigger, given its range of large jet aircraft.
Keyword: Airbus and Singapore Sign MOU to Investigate Hydrogen-Powered Planes