Airbus has signed a Cooperation Agreement with Changi Airport Group, Linde, a global industrial gases and engineering company, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to investigate the feasibility of establishing a future hydrogen hub in Singapore.
Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer, Han Kok Juan, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Yam Kum Weng, Executive Vice President of Changi Airport Group, and John Panikar, Executive Vice President, APAC of Linde signed the agreement at the Singapore Airshow.
It reflects the four partners’ shared goal of leveraging their individual expertise to help the aviation industry decarbonize and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The partners will investigate how hydrogen can be transported, stored, and delivered to aircraft at existing and new airports as part of the collaboration. This agreement builds on a previous agreement with CAAS to assess hydrogen infrastructures, expanding the scope to include the airport and the energy provider.
Airbus will provide data on aircraft configuration and fleet energy usage, as well as information on hydrogen-powered aircraft for ground operations and estimates for hydrogen aircraft ramp-up at airports.
“The Asia-Pacific region will play a key role as we work towards making climate-neutral aviation a reality,” said Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer. “By partnering with Changi Airport and with Incheon Airport, Airbus will leverage the operational and technical expertise of two of the world’s leading hubs. The studies we will carry out together reflect the need for a cross-sectoral approach, including manufacturers, airlines, regulators, airports, energy providers and academia. We need bold and coordinated action to achieve our goals.”
The use of hydrogen to power future aircraft is expected to significantly reduce aircraft emissions in the air, as well as help decarbonize ground-based air transportation. Airbus launched the “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” program in 2020 to jumpstart research into infrastructure needs and low-carbon airport operations throughout the value chain. Agreements with partners and airports in Paris, Seoul, and Singapore have been signed so far.
