Feasibility study into hydrogen infrastructure at Groningen Airport Eelde completed
The feasibility study into the realisation of a hydrogen infrastructure at Groningen Airport Eelde has recently been completed. The study was presented to Eddie van Marum, State Secretary for the Recovery of Groningen, and Jakob Klompien, quartermaster of the economic agenda of Nij Begun. Both administrators received the study as input for their policy. The feasibility study shows that Groningen Airport Eelde (GAE) has a unique position due to its available space and regional embedding within the Northern Netherlands hydrogen ecosystem.
The first hydrogen flights using gaseous hydrogen are expected to start in 2030, followed by flights using liquid hydrogen from 2035 onwards. By 2050, hydrogen could account for a substantial share of GAE's air traffic. The study, funded by the Province of Drenthe, covers topics such as the expected demand for hydrogen, infrastructure requirements, supply options, safety aspects and the policy context. It is based on input from stakeholders and current developments in the sector. The knowledge gained has been compiled in a document that not only provides direction for development at GAE, but also serves as an example for other airports. The report is public and can be downloaded below.
In October 2023, 12 parties signed a letter of intent for the development of hydrogen infrastructure at GAE. The study now presented provides a perspective for action for its phased introduction at the airport. The next step is to develop scenarios that examine how the necessary infrastructure can be optimally integrated into the spatial and operational context of GAE.
The parties involved:
Groningen Airport Eelde
AirportCreators
Airbus Netherlands
Fokker Next Gen
Cranfield University
Cranfield Aerospace
RWE
ENGIE
Shell
Groningen Seaports
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
HyNetwork Services
NOM
NLR
Provincie Drenthe
KLM
Beyond Aero
Hydrogen Architects
New Energy Coalition