A decentralized electrolyser was unveiled today at Groningen Airport Eelde (GAE) in the Netherlands. The electrolyser is a demonstration model that will be used to produce green hydrogen in the future as an emission-free fuel for light aircraft, drones, and ground equipment at the airport.
The electrolyser was unveiled by Marieke Abbink, director of the New Energy Coalition, before an audience of around 80 people. The electrolyser is a co-production of Northern producers and researchers, and it is expected to give the industrial hydrogen ecosystem in the Northern Netherlands a significant boost.
The Northern Netherlands is recognized as an important center for the development of hydrogen technology by Europe, which declared the region the first Hydrogen Valley. As a testing ground, GAE takes various initiatives in the field of making aviation more sustainable. This makes the airport Hydrogen Valley Airport.
The WAviatER project is one of the projects with which the airport is giving concrete substance to Hydrogen Valley Airport. Hydrogen is produced in the electrolyser, which uses electricity from the solar park to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It therefore operates independently and is not dependent on connection to a future hydrogen infrastructure that is yet to be developed.
What makes this electrolyser special is the unique design in which the electrolyser stack is housed in a water-filled, pressure-resistant jacket. This design contributes to the safety and efficiency of the system.
WAviatER stands for Hydrogen Production Technology for the Aviation sector and Energy Applications at Regional Level, and it is subsidized by the Northern Netherlands Partnership from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In this project, green hydrogen technology is being developed within the consortium involved. Consortium partners are Douna Machinery Leeuwarden, JB Besturingstechniek, REDStack, Demcon, Groningen Airport Eelde, New Energy Coalition, and University of Groningen, supported by TNO and VONK.
The development of decentralized electrolysers for green hydrogen production has the potential to revolutionize the aviation sector. Green hydrogen is a clean and sustainable fuel that can be used to power a variety of aircraft, including light aircraft, drones, and ground equipment.
The use of green hydrogen in the aviation sector would help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the global effort to combat climate change. It would also help to make the aviation sector more energy independent and less reliant on fossil fuels.
The unveiling of the decentralized electrolyser at Groningen Airport Eelde is a significant step forward in the development of green hydrogen technology for the aviation sector. The electrolyser is a demonstration model, but it is expected to be scaled up in the future to produce green hydrogen for commercial use.
