H2 in airports by 2025 – CSIRO

Clean hydrogen can significantly reduce aviation emissions with benefits likely to be seen within five years.

That’s according to a new report from Boeing and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO.

‘Opportunities for hydrogen in commercial aviation’ reports that growing hydrogen industry momentum can provide an opportunity for hydrogen in niche airport applications (such as ground support equipment) as early as 2025.

By 2035, hydrogen could provide much deeper decarbonisation when used in conjunction with existing airport and aircraft infrastructure and could then support a complete transition from conventional jet fuel around 2050.

The disruption to air travel caused by COVID-19 has caused the industry to rethink its paradigm and recover to a different “normal”, CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall says.

“As we see travel resume, hydrogen presents a key solution to enable a sustainable recovery for the industry using liquid renewable fuel, and to grow future resilience from threats like oil shocks,” he says.

“CSIRO’s 2018 breakthrough in fuelling hydrogen-powered cars with liquid renewable fuel has created opportunities for industries to supercharge their decarbonisation by investing in hydrogen.

The global aviation industry consumes 3.2 times more energy than the whole of Australia annually and has widely adopted a target of reducing emissions by 50% based on 2005 levels, with no net increase after 2020.

A range of sustainable fuels can assist in meeting the emissions target and hydrogen-based fuels represent a key path to sustainable aviation, and transport more broadly.

CSIRO’s 2018 ‘National Hydrogen Roadmap’ noted Australia’s hydrogen industry is set for rapid scale-up, with cost competitiveness within reach.

While COVID-19 has had a major impact on the sector, the report takes a long-term view, presenting a meaningful way to recover while prioritising sustainability. It examines global applications, while highlighting the opportunity for national demonstration projects and continued innovation.

CSIRO is undertaking a broad range of hydrogen-related research, with a focus on reducing emissions associated with transport, energy production, and exports.

Its goal is to help build a clean and competitive hydrogen industry delivering economic benefit and a secure and resilient energy system in support of Australia’s transition to a low emissions future.