Integrating liquid hydrogen infrastructure at airports: Conclusions from an ecosystem approach at Rotterdam The Hague Airport

Aviation is a contributor to global warming. Hydrogen-powered aircraft are seen as an important option to decarbonise parts of commercial aviation. Airports have a pivotal role in facilitating the development of ground infrastructure. This paper provides a broader perspective on the supply and handling of liquid hydrogen, and necessary airport developments, to enable hydrogen-powered aviation. Hydrogen-related airport development projects at Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTHA) are presented and discussed, and a detailed overview of the airport’s liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage facility is given. To link the ongoing developments to future needs, a LH2 demand scenario for RTHA is determined for the years 2040 and 2050. Based on this demand, analysis of levelised cost of hydrogen for relevant value chains were conducted. This study exemplifies that the LH2 value chain for an airport depends on individual characteristics of the airport and its surroundings. The hydrogen demand, the airport’s proximity to larger hydrogen hubs (import and/or production hubs) and the availability of local renewable resources, which influence electricity price and hydrogen production and liquefaction costs, are key parameters and heavily influence the airport LH2 value chain. Conceptualisation and future development of hydrogen infrastructure for airport supply should take into account the above factors. LH2 demand at RTHA in the year 2050 is predicted to range between 8–14kt. Under the given electricity price assumptions, local production and liquefaction of hydrogen at the airport is not seen as a viable option, as cost savings can be achieved by making use of the Port of Rotterdam’s large hydrogen production and import cluster nearby. The work shows that trailer-based logistics for both the delivery of LH2 to the airport and subsequent usage of these trailers in the storage and dispensing process at the airport seems the most viable for RTHA (and airports that show similarities). This further indicates that current small-scale LH2 demonstration at airports provides important lessons for scaling up.