Are regional airports ready to adopt green hydrogen?
This week (25-26 February) stakeholders have gathered in Riga to address the readiness of regional airports for green hydrogen adoption. As well as the logistical needs, the discussions during the two-day seminar have focused on the practical and legal aspects of implementing hydrogen technologies.
The seminar is part of the Baltic Sea Region Hydrogen Air Transport (BSR HyAirport) initiative, established to create the necessary conditions for adapting airport infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered aircraft operations and includes preparing airports for green hydrogen storage, processing and supply. Participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Sweden, Poland and Finland are attending this week’s seminar to explore the safe and efficient deployment of hydrogen technologies at airports across the Baltic Sea region.
Legal expertise
Law firm, Evershed Sutherland Bitans, is also engaged in the project and is currently conducting an in-depth analysis of international European Union, and national regulations in the participating countries. Its initial findings were presented at the seminar.
Maris Vainovskis, Senior Partner at Evershed Sutherland Bitans, said:
We hope that the project will identify practical ways to promote hydrogen adoption at airports, establish the necessary regulatory frameworks and gain the support of policymakers,
The preliminary assessment indicates that while certain standards and regulations govern hydrogen production, use and transportation in airports and aviation, a clear regulatory framework and specific requirements for infrastructure related to hydrogen production and storage at airports are not yet established. Furthermore, while some legal provisions mention hydrogen indirectly, regulations specific to green (renewable) hydrogen remain limited.
Key stakeholders, including policymakers from Latvia’s Ministry of Climate and Energy, Ministry of Economics and Ministry of Transport and the Latvian Hydrogen Association agreed that the findings of this research could contribute to proposals for developing regulator frameworks that facilitate the use of hydrogen.
Riga en route to carbon neutrality
In line with its plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, Riga Airport has introduced electric buses for passenger transportation, including trials with a hydrogen-electric bus. It has also developed a solar panel plant for its own energy needs and upgraded its energy supply system.
Laila Odina, Chairperson of the Board of Riga Airport, said:
We are continuously monitoring advancements in hydrogen technology, assessing which airfield equipment could be replaced with hydrogen-powered alternatives in the future,
As part of this project, the airport plans to test a specialised piece of airfield equipment in the near future.
Odina continued,
However, the availability of suitable hydrogen-powered machinery is only one aspect of the solution.
“It is equally important to address safety requirements, economic feasibility, regulatory frameworks, national policy goals, support mechanism for hydrogen adoption, testing opportunities for hydrogen technologies and other related issues in a timely manner,”
She also reiterated that close cooperation with all stakeholders is key, particularly given the current geopolitical challenges “where ensuring the airport’s energy independence as critical infrastructure is of utmost importance.”
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Are regional airports ready to adopt green hydrogen?, source
