Airbus, Kansai, Kawasaki Unite for Hydrogen Planes

Airbus, Kansai Airports, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Kawasaki) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to investigate the viability of hydrogen infrastructure at three airports in the Kansai region: Kobe Airport, Osaka International Airport, and Kansai International Airport.

Through this Memorandum of Understanding, the three parties will strengthen their cooperation to make the hydrogen supply to aircraft at the three airports a reality and conduct a preliminary feasibility study for introducing and operating hydrogen aircraft as part of the "Hydrogen Hub at Airports" program. The three parties' new project will concentrate on defining a roadmap for hydrogen supply and infrastructure at each of the three airports. This will depend on specific aircraft and airport features. The outcomes will be assessed from operations, economics, technology, and legal compatibility viewpoints. Creating a roadmap and possible demonstration projects to be undertaken will make the strategy for addressing the issues raised clear, culminating in policy recommendations.

Airbus and Kansai Airports have collaborated on using hydrogen in constructing airport infrastructure since 2022. Fuel cell buses and fully functional forklifts are examples of the world-class hydrogen infrastructures that Kansai Airports has showcased. Because each of the three airports has unique traffic patterns and topographical features, Airbus was able to research many options for supplying hydrogen to the airport grounds.

Kawasaki and the manufacturer have also collaborated to prepare the hydrogen-fueled environment. Kawasaki, a top supplier of hydrogen solutions, has proven capable of designing several end-to-end cryogenic hydrogen supply network choices. Kawasaki is knowledgeable about the construction of airport infrastructure and has installed baggage handling and other equipment at several airports.

The successful collaborations have developed into the second stage of the integrated feasibility study, and both studies have produced a strong understanding of the airports' hydrogen infrastructures. Cooperation between the three parties makes more realistic assessments, considering supply chain and airport operations viewpoints, possible. 

As part of the collaboration, Airbus projected the amount of liquid hydrogen that airports need daily to enable aircraft operations during the early introduction phases. By 2050, this is expected to rise to several hundred tons daily. Airbus sees a viable market for hydrogen aircraft and has seen a developed hydrogen sector footprint in Kansai and other areas supported by numerous regulatory measures.

STATEMENTS

“Hydrogen is attracting global attention as a way to decarbonise. The Japanese Government is promoting a hydrogen-based energy strategy to achieve its carbon neutrality target by 2050,” said Karine Guenan, Head of ZEROe Ecosystem.

“In fact, the Japanese Government has announced specific plans for developing hydrogen from production to consumption. We believe our partnership with Japanese companies under the Hydrogen Hubs at Airports programme will contribute to introducing a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035.”

“Kansai Airports has set a vision to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and is actively pursuing various initiatives, including the use of hydrogen, to reduce environmental impact,” said Yoshiyuki Yamaya, Representative Director and CEO, and Benoit Rulleau, Representative Director and Co-CEO of Kansai Airports. 

“We are delighted that this partnership will not only help us crystallise hydrogen solutions in the airport sector but also contribute to the decarbonization of the aviation industry. Based on our efforts since 2022, we will strengthen collaboration with new partners and strive to become a model for hydrogen use in airport infrastructure.”

“Kawasaki has been developing all sorts of technologies required for establishing an international hydrogen supply chain, after recognizing early on the value of hydrogen as a ‘clean’ energy carrier which emits no CO­2 when used,” said Motohiko Nishimura, Executive Officer and Deputy General Manager of Hydrogen Strategy Division, Kawasaki.

“We believe that this three-company partnership will be a step towards a solution for decarbonization through the use of hydrogen in the aviation industry, where a reduction in CO2 emissions has been deemed difficult. The signing of this memorandum of agreement is sure to accelerate Kawasaki’s efforts to achieve a hydrogen-powered aircraft.”

Airbus, Kansai Airports, and Kawasaki will collaborate on this MOU to contribute to the early realisation of the decarbonisation of airport infrastructure in Japan. The aim is to create a society in which hydrogen aircraft can operate in the future.

The use of hydrogen to power future aircraft is expected to reduce aircraft emissions in the air significantly and could also help decarbonise air transport activities on the ground. In 2020, Airbus unveiled the first ZEROe concepts with the ambition to bring to market the world's first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035. Developing the corresponding technology bricks is now underway in a global Research and technology network.

Airbus launched the “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” programme to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations across the entire value chain. To date, agreements have been announced with partners and airports in 14 countries, including Japan, France, Germany, Italy, the U.S.A., Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Australia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.