Airbus and allies advance hydrogen aviation in Sweden and Norway

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Airbus, Avinor, SAS, Swedavia, and Vattenfall have jointly entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the feasibility of establishing a hydrogen infrastructure at airports in Sweden and Norway.

This collaborative effort aims to enhance comprehension of hydrogen-powered aircraft concepts, operations, supply chains, infrastructures, and refueling necessities at airports. The objective is to foster the development of a hydrogen aviation ecosystem in both countries. Additionally, the initiative will delineate the criteria for selecting airports to undergo transformation for the operation of hydrogen-powered aircraft, along with the associated regulatory framework.

This groundbreaking feasibility study spans two countries and encompasses more than 50 airports, underscoring the partners’ shared commitment to leveraging their expertise for the decarbonization of the aviation industry and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, expressed enthusiasm about hydrogen being a pivotal enabler in steering aviation towards a sustainable future, highlighting Norway and Sweden’s potential for hydrogen production from renewable sources.

Avinor’s CEO, Abraham Foss, emphasized hydrogen’s emergence as a key energy carrier for future fossil-free aviation. Avinor, as the owner and operator of 43 airports in Norway, is positioned to contribute its expertise and infrastructure to propel the green transition of Norwegian aviation.

SAS President & CEO Anko van der Werff highlighted SAS’ commitment to driving the transition towards net-zero emissions by partnering with innovative industry players. The collaboration is seen as a crucial step for the entire aviation industry.

Jonas Abrahamsson, Swedavia’s President and CEO, emphasized the partnership’s significance in advancing fossil-free aviation in the Nordic region. He underscored the collaboration as a major step towards sustainable aviation, solidifying Swedavia’s role as a frontrunner in the industry.

Vattenfall’s President and CEO, Anna Borg, underscored the commitment to industry decarbonization, highlighting the challenging transition in aviation away from fossil fuels. She expressed excitement about contributing expertise in electricity market development, electrical infrastructure, and hydrogen production in Sweden.

The utilization of hydrogen to power future aircraft is anticipated not only to significantly reduce airborne emissions but also to facilitate the decarbonization of ground-based air transport activities. Airbus, with its ZEROe initiative, aims to bring the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft to market by 2035, and the company has launched the “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” program to explore infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations globally. Agreements for this program have been signed with partners and airports in ten countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

« Back to Page