A recent report released by the New Zealand Hydrogen Aviation Consortium, called “Launching green hydrogen-powered aviation in Aotearoa New Zealand,” demonstrated how the consortium members could work together to remove up to 900,000 tons of carbon emissions every year by 2050 through hydrogen-fueled aircraft flying New Zealand domestic routes. The consortium is a partnership of six international businesses: Airbus, Air New Zealand, Christchurch Airport, Fortescue, Hiringa Energy, and Fabrum.
Launched just this February, the consortium has spent the last six months examining the hydrogen supply chain, evaluating the local aviation market’s projected hydrogen requirements, and scoping what it would take to establish a thriving hydrogen ecosystem for aviation in New Zealand. The consortium has also developed recommendations for the regulations and incentives needed to support the transition to a green hydrogen aviation system.
For airlines to meet their ambitions to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, they need to phase out the use of fossil fuels. Green hydrogen is one of the potential solutions the global aviation sector plans to use to achieve that ambition. Others include sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which can cut emissions by up to 80%, electric, battery-electric aircraft, infrastructure and operational efficiencies, and offsets and carbon capture.
Fueling transport with green hydrogen helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s already being used to fuel cars, buses, trucks, and boats (including professional sailing team Emirates Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup chase boat, Chase Zero). Hydrogen fuel cells have been successfully trialed to power aircraft overseas. The next step is to design technology to enable liquid hydrogen, which is more energy-dense and more accessible to transport than gaseous hydrogen, to power aircraft. Hydrogen-powered technology will likely be best suited for medium-sized aircraft seating 20 to 200 passengers and flying from around 200 to 2,000km and potentially up to approximately 3,500km.
World’s 1st commercial-use hydrogen aircraft
Airbus is working to develop the world’s first hydrogen aircraft for commercial use. ZEROe Ecosystem vice president Karine Guenan stated that New Zealand is uniquely positioned to lead the testing and deployment of low-carbon aviation. “The country’s large potential renewable electricity and water resources are key advantages, while the size of aircraft used here and the length of routes flown match the capabilities of hydrogen-powered aircraft. This report lays out the ecosystem required to make that happen. It is a first step, and Airbus is committed to leveraging our expertise to work with government, industries, and other stakeholders to bring it to life,” she added.
Christchurch-based company Fabrum is already working on hydrogen aviation projects overseas. Its chair and co-founder Christopher Boyle said that green hydrogen is an essential part of the future of clean flight. “Our team co-developed the world’s first electric aircraft engine for Magnix and built superconducting electric motors and rotors for Safran and Airbus. We’re currently manufacturing green hydrogen systems for airports and on-board liquid hydrogen tanks for low-emission flights. The opportunity to use our experience to ensure green hydrogen aviation takes off in New Zealand is exciting.”
On the part of Air New Zealand, chief sustainability officer Kiri Hannifin shared that the report provided information that could be used to build a blueprint for hydrogen-powered aviation in New Zealand. “Air New Zealand is committed to decarbonizing its operations. Green hydrogen-fueled aircraft is one of the potential levers we have available to us. This report provides important proof points for both the aviation sector and decision-makers to work together to make that happen.”
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around the country. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the United States, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand focuses on sustainability, and its sustainability framework helps guide the airline’s efforts in tackling some of New Zealand’s and the world’s most complex challenges.
Create and support a green hydrogen ecosystem
Based on the report, to enable green hydrogen aviation to take off, New Zealand will need to scale affordable new-generation renewable energy in New Zealand to support the production of green hydrogen. Also, develop the transmission and distribution capacity to move that renewable electricity to where it is needed. There is also the need to establish policies and regulations to create and support a green hydrogen ecosystem. Further, develop a range of new systems and processes to ensure the safe production, distribution, and use of green hydrogen. Last, producing and supplying green hydrogen has become more cost-effective to ensure its commercial viability.
The consortium’s modeling shows New Zealand could use up to 100,000 tons of green hydrogen per year for hydrogen-fueled aircraft by 2050, with most of it required to fuel planes at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch airports.
Christchurch Airport General Manager Future Planning and Sustainability Nick Flack shared that up to 6,700 gigawatt hours of renewable energy will be required to generate that green hydrogen. “That’s up to 16% of New Zealand’s current total electricity supply. That demand presents an opportunity for businesses. We’ve now committed to progressing a hydrogen hub as part of our 400-hectare renewable energy precinct, Kōwhai Park. Twenty other airports around the world are doing the same.”
Aviation as a ‘hard-to-abate’ sector
According to Fortescue’s global aviation lead Amy Barrett, while establishing green hydrogen aviation in New Zealand will be challenging, the report indicates a practical and implementable solution. “Aviation, like our own iron ore operations, is one of the hard-to-abate sectors. Hard-to-abate doesn’t mean impossible to decarbonize—it just requires a lot of effort and long-term commitment. It also needs collaboration, and that’s what we are doing here; we know we need to work together to find the best solutions.”
Meanwhile, Hiringa Energy chief executive Andrew Clennett said that the report highlights the need for physical and regulatory infrastructure to enable low-emission aircraft to be trialed and deployed in New Zealand. “Green hydrogen is integral to the decarbonization of New Zealand’s domestic aviation network, and why it made perfect sense for Hiringa to join the consortium. By sharing our first-hand technical, operational, and commercial expertise, we hope to accelerate New Zealand’s already thriving green hydrogen landscape and lead the world in the transition to clean aviation.” (Story and photo courtesy of Airbus)