Industrial gas giant Linde today (Feb 15) said it has joined forces with Airbus, Changi Airport Group (CAG) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to explore the country’s potential for a hydrogen hub to support zero-emissions aircraft.

As of November 2021, Airbus and CAAS already have a withstanding agreement to study the demand and production supply of alternative aviation fuels, such as hydrogen, and explore how these could decarbonise the region whilst also studying the implementation of hydrogen into airport infrastructures.

Building on this, the partnership has now further teamed up with Linde and CAG to make Singapore a hotspot for hydrogen-powered aircraft and the supporting technologies that come with such shift.

Now, under a two-year study, the consortium will examine the infrastructure requirements and supply solutions to support hydrogen-powered aircraft and airport operations at Singapore’s Changi Airport.

Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer at Airbus, said, “The Asia-Pacific region will play a key role as we work towards making climate-neutral aviation a reality. By partnering with Changi Airport and with Incheon Airport, Airbus will leverage the operational and technical expertise of two of the world’s leading hubs.

“The studies we will carry out together reflect the need for a cross-sectoral approach, including manufacturers, airlines, regulators, airports, energy providers and academia. We need bold and coordinated action to achieve our goals.”

Under the terms of the effort, Airbus has confirmed it will provide characteristics on aircraft configuration and fleet energy usage, insight on hydrogen-powered aircraft for ground operations, and data on the estimated hydrogen aircraft ramp-up at airports.

John Panikar, Executive Vice-President of APAC at Linde, added, “In the past few years, industries and governments around the globe have recognised hydrogen’s role as a key enabler of the world’s transition to a zero-carbon economy.

“As one of the world’s leading industrial gases and engineering companies, with a strong and growing presence in the region, we’re very excited to contribute our expertise to the decarbonisation of the aviation industry.”

The agreement was signed at the Singapore Airshow by Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer at Airbus, Han Kok Juan, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Yam Kum Weng, Executive Vice-President of Changi Airport Group, and John Panikar, Executive Vice-President, APAC of Linde.