Under a freshly inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Progressive Energy and Cadent, founding partners of HyNet, the partners aim to deliver hydrogen to the aviation sector at the earliest opportunity, through the connection of Manchester Airport to a pipeline being developed by HyNet.
With the planned connection, the airport aims to be the first to establish a direct pipeline of hydrogen to supply any of its 60+ airlines with the low-carbon fuel, forming part of wide plans to decarbonise aviation.
A FlyZero report released in March this year (2022) concluded that liquid hydrogen could power a midsized aircraft with 280 passengers from London to San Francisco directly, or from London to Auckland with just one stop.
Centred in the North West of England and North East Wales, HyNet is targeting 350MW of low-carbon hydrogen capacity by 2025, rising to 30TWh per year by 2030, with plans to store 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by the end of the decade.
Read more: Six HyNet projects receive go-ahead from UK Government
“This announcement demonstrates the meaningful action we are taking to ensure we can deliver a carbon-free future for the aviation industry,” commented Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of Manchester Airport.
Woodroofe said by securing direct hydrogen supply, the airport’s airlines will be able to make sure of the low-carbon fuel and new technologies as soon as possible.
He concluded, “The use of hydrogen will make a significant contribution to the UK aviation sector’s decarbonisation efforts and supports industry partners in reaching Net Zero.”
With Manchester Airport having recently become a member of the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA), Prof. Joe Howe, Chair of the NWHA and Executive Director, Energy Research Institute at the University of Chester, said, “The partnership between Manchester Airport and HyNet is a great example of how hydrogen can play a leading role in delivering Net Zero ambitions on a monumental scale here in the North West.
“The fact that Manchester Airport could become the first UK airport with a direct supply of low-carbon hydrogen fuel is an exciting prospect as we work towards creating a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future for the region.”
Backing the plans, Graham Stuart, UK Energy and Climate Change Minister, added, “Set to be the new superfuel of the future, hydrogen will be essential in powering UK industries, including the aviation sector, as we move toward ending our dependency on fossil fuels.
“This new partnership is an exciting step that will help put the North West at the heart of efforts to make the UK a world-leading hydrogen economy.”