Air NZ to work with Airbus on carbon-free hydrogen planes.
Air New Zealand will work with Airbus to study the viability of flying hydrogen-powered aircraft on short domestic routes, as the airline aims to operate carbon-free flights by the end of this decade.
The Kiwi carrier said its two-year partnership with Airbus will research performance, operation and infrastructure requirements of the next-generation “zero-emission” hydrogen aircraft Airbus has in early development.
Greg Foran, Air NZ chief executive said in an interview.
🔥 What about we co-host a webinar? Let's educate, captivate, and convert the hydrogen economy!
Hydrogen Central is the global go-to online magazine for the hydrogen economy, we can help you host impactful webinars that become a global reference on your topic and are an evergreen source of leads. Click here to request more details
We don’t have too many doubts that this is going to be the technology that’s going to operate in Air New Zealand for the regional ports we fly to.
“We’ve got some confidence that over the next few years we’re going to be able to come up with a solution [that] we think will work pretty well.”
Airbus, the European aerospace manufacturer which along with Boeing dominates the global commercial aircraft market, has put hydrogen at the centre of its efforts to prepare aviation for a low-carbon future.
The gas is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, and when burnt in a combustion engine produces water vapor as its only byproduct, potentially eliminating the carbon planes spit into the atmosphere from petroleum-based jet fuel.
Airbus released three hydrogen aircraft concept designs in September last year. It said it would decide which design to put into production by 2025, ready for passenger services in 2035.
The designs are for two jet engine aircraft — including a futuristic “blended wing” concept — which could carry up to 200 passengers. The third design is for a smaller plane, carrying up to 100 passengers with wing-mounted propellers running on hydrogen fuel cells, which convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity.
Mr Foran said Air NZ was interested in Airbus’ smallest design to replace its fleet of 51 turboprop aircraft, consisting of ATR 72s (which carry 68 passengers) and 23 Bombardier Q300s (50 passengers).
Air NZ is also looking at other battery powered electric aircraft in development and wants to have a low-carbon solution in place for short domestic and regional flights by 2030, Mr Foran said.
“With a bit of luck, in 10, 15 years time we might have something that gets across the Tasman [too],” he said.
The Airbus study will examine challenges including building new refuelling infrastructure at airports to carry liquid hydrogen, and whether suppliers can make enough “green” (produced using clean energy) hydrogen in New Zealand for its needs.
Aviation accounted for around 2 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, before the COVID-19 pandemic grounded airlines globally, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The United Nation’s aviation body estimates the industry’s emissions could triple by 2050 as flying becomes more accessible to the world’s growing middle class.
Air NZ, like Qantas, has committed to reaching “net” zero carbon emissions by 2050, meaning it will “offset” any emission it still produced by buying credits from CO2 abatement projects. The global airline industry has committed to cutting emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050.
However, Air NZ produces the bulk of its emissions from long-haul international flying. Mr Foran said switching to low-emission biofuel remained the only viable option to tackle those emissions, and that the airline was exploring the viability of producing “sustainable aviation fuel” locally with the New Zealand government.
Airbus Asia-Pacific president Anand Stanley said the agreement with Air New Zealand would give the manufacturer important insights into how to put a zero-emissions aircraft into service.
Anand Stanley, Airbus Asia-Pacific president
The joint study will enable us to gain invaluable feedback on what airlines will expect and their preferences in terms of configuration and performance.
Airbus has entered a similar partnership with British airline easyJet and has undertaken a study on hybrid and alternative power source planes with Scandinavian Airlines.
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
Air NZ to work with Airbus on carbon-free hydrogen planes, September 16, 2021
