Hydrogen in aviation: a new era for sustainable travel

Welcome to everybody interested in hydrogen and a net zero future!

#Hydrogen has become a “hot topic”. Everyone is talking about it but what is really at stake for industry and for society as a whole? Is it a viable solution? Will it help us achieve climate goals??I? want to provide you with facts & different viewpoints on the most hot topics of hydrogen debate.?Air Liquide has a 60 year expertise in hydrogen, let this knowledge be at the service of society.?

Enjoy the read, I look forward to a fruitful discussion!?

?? Are you flying to your holiday destination this summer??

Traveling through the clouds seems to be less and less accessible, yet acceptable due to a major increase in costs caused by COVID pandemic, and growing concerns about the environmental impact of air travel.?Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport even recently announced its will to limit the amount of flights per year. With travel restrictions now coming to an end, many of us are longing for overseas trips, and rightfully so.?

In the last few years, as part of my job, I had the chance to frequently travel by plane to visit our teams in Asia, South America, Middle East or in the US. I lived in Duba?, Houston & Toronto, and I take pride in this international background and mindset.??

But in the meantime, I am more and more concerned with the impact such trips have on the #environment , from both a professional and personal perspective.?So what to do, what to think? Personally, it made me move: at home, I have to justify my trips, so to a certain extend guilt tripping is making me think twice before traveling.

?? How can we make flights more sustainable???

Electrify everything? Maybe not…?

A common conviction is that the #decarbonization of many industries can be achieved by electrification. Unfortunately, it can not be the main solution for aviation. We need more than batteries or electric engines.

The good news is that the commercial aviation industry has an excellent track record in improving its efficiency. Carbon dioxide emissions per passenger flight have fallen by more than 50% since 1990, mostly thanks to more efficient engines and seamless operations. And the industry has already communicated on its options to go one step further in this efficiency direction. Innovation drives #change , and we can only hope for it to accelerate.

Sustainable aviation fuels vs hydrogen propulsion: a complementary mix??

What perspectives can we look forward to??Aside from electrification, two main solutions are explored: sustainable aviation fuels [SAF] and hydrogen propulsion. Both have a major role to play. With SAF, we have a short-term fix because they are chemically identical to existing jet fuels and can replace them, without any redesign of the plane fleets or ground infrastructure.?

Some experts believe that SAF is the only answer between now and 2050. But I can’t imagine that the aviation sector will be missing out on the opportunity represented by hydrogen, which is a unique chance to reimagine the role of airports as local energy hubs & ecosystems and more globally the carbon footprint of our travels.

From my viewpoint, we still have a lot to think about when it comes to SAF. SAF is a recombination of Carbon and Hydrogen molecules through chemical processes. Such a mix will require a lot of accessible renewable energy - which is still a?challenge as we speak - combined with chemical and industrial processes with various efficiencies. Another question arises about the origin of the Carbon: biogenic, industrial, direct air capture? The qualification of carbon will go through the same discussion as the renewable or low-carbon hydrogen one! Among other questions yet to be answered: if we consider energy as a scarce resource, what is its best use and in which sector? What is the economical and engineering optimum of SAF compared to kerosene or to hydrogen?...?

The ReFuelEU report adopted by the European parliament earlier in July extends the definition of SAF. The inclusion of hydrogen as a fuel under the definition of SAF is a great step. The report also defines a very clear timeline. The EU Parliament imposes that fuel suppliers include SAF in aviation for EU airports. The obligation will increase from 6% SAF in 2030 to 85% in 2050. It clearly demonstrates the increasingly important role of low-carbon hydrogen in the decarbonization of aviation, whether it is hydrogen combined with other molecules or hydrogen alone. But again, the engineering and societal debate is only in its early days!?

It’s not only about fuel.?

The road to a more sustainable aviation sector implies to adopt an “ecosystem” approach. Investing in hydrogen means considering a wide range of parameters, including new infrastructure. This requires studies, time and strategic thinking.

In order to prepare the use of hydrogen in the aviation sector, we have already done major steps. In 2021, we signed an MOU with Groupe ADP and Airbus to prepare for the arrival of hydrogen in airports by 2035 as part of the development of hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. As an extension of this, we have just announced our ambition to create a joint venture with Groupe ADP to provide airports across the world with the engineering and services they will need in their transition to hydrogen. On the other side of the world, in February 2022 we have announced a partnership with Airbus, Incheon Airport and Korean Air. Our goal is to facilitate the development of hydrogen infrastructure at airports and to prepare the sector for the upcoming challenges: in the world of aviation, 2035 is tomorrow!

A concrete example? An airport is part of a territory, with real estate constraints, transport routes that combine different types of mobility, energy flows... If we want renewable hydrogen, produced on site, we have to evaluate the quantities of electricity needed and available to supply electrolysers; or build pipelines if we choose to transport large volumes from off sites. Generally speaking, we need to align the entire aviation ecosystem in order to succeed and we need to build a dense network of airports (planes usually don’t go back to their starting points!).

Another crucial aspect of this equation is whether or not we’ll be able to liquefy hydrogen. Why? Simply because the hydrogen present in aircrafts will have to be liquid. When cooled below -252,87 °C, hydrogen turns liquid, but most importantly takes less space. Very few companies are capable of implementing this state of the heart technique, but Air Liquide is one of them!?

?? Now is the time for action!

I truly believe we should not abandon an industry that has fueled our travel needs for the past 50 years and more. The solutions are in our hands so it is up to us to decide the strategy in order to achieve short, middle and long-term sustainable goals. And it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t question our needs and wishes to travel looking for a more sustainable way.

There’s no doubt: decarbonization of air transport is a huge challenge.? That is why we’re joining efforts with leading companies in the field, mutualizing skills and expertise in order to serve the thousands of airports and airlines that will choose hydrogen in the next 10 years. 液空 will be a key actor of this change. 2035 is tomorrow! Good news is that we have already started.?

I hope to meet you for the first hydrogen-fueled flight between Paris and Rome or Berlin!

?? The shift is already happening. Let me share with you a selection of articles:?

> Hydrogen Risks Being The Great Missed Opportunity Of The Energy Transition ?

> Green Hydrogen: A key investment for the energy transition

>How policy action is key to hydrogen reaching its decarbonization potential

>What would a flying - free world look like ?