Airbus, Kansai Airports, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries will study the feasibility of developing hydrogen infrastructure at Osaka Kansai, Osaka Itami, and Kobe airports, the three airports operated by Kansai Airports, the companies announced on October 18, 2024.
The study will aim to evaluate the feasibility of building hydrogen infrastructure at the three airports from technological, economical, legal, and operational standpoints. It will aim to define the required infrastructure and supply roadmap for the three airports, based on each airport’s unique characteristics.
According to the statement, “The approach to the challenges identified will be clarified through potential demonstration projects to be launched and roadmap development, leading to policy recommendations.”
“The Japanese Government is promoting a hydrogen-based energy strategy to achieve its carbon neutrality target by 2050,” said Airbus’s Head of ZEROe Ecosystem, Karine Guenan. “In fact, the Japanese Government has announced specific plans for the development of hydrogen from production to consumption,” she continued.
Benoit Rulleau, Representative Director and Co-CEO of Kansai Airports said, “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.” The airport operator has worked with Airbus since 2022 on using hydrogen in aviation by adding fuel cell buses and forklifts to its operations.
Airbus and Kawasaki have worked together before the latest collaboration too, with the latter demonstrating its capabilities to design cryogenic hydrogen supply network and the former forecasted liquid hydrogen demand.
The partnership between Airbus, Kansai Airports, and Kawasaki Heavy is part of the airframer’s “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” program, which researches infrastructure requirements and has partnered with companies and airports in 13 countries outside Japan including the US, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Australia, Sweden and the United Kingdom already.
