Bristol Airport and engineering consultancy Ultima Forma have completed a liquid hydrogen (LH2) refueling project aimed at supporting future zero-emissions aircraft, as part of the airport’s Aviation Carbon Transition (ACT) Programme.
The two organizations have produced a technical report examining how a liquid hydrogen refueling system could be built and operated at Bristol Airport to meet the requirements of emerging hydrogen-powered aircraft. The airport said the work represents a step toward enabling zero-carbon regional aviation.
According to Bristol Airport, aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen are under development in the region by companies including ZeroAvia and Airbus. Such aircraft have the potential to enable zero-emissions flight, but one of the main challenges remains the availability of hydrogen storage and refueling facilities at airports.
Ultima Forma’s report focuses on the logistics of delivering liquid hydrogen to the airport and storing it. Liquid hydrogen must be stored at around -253°C. Although the technology to store hydrogen at these temperatures is well established, it has not yet been deployed at scale in an airport environment.
The report includes an animation summarizing the proposed system and its operational considerations.
Andy Bushby, CTO at Ultima Forma, said, “Developing engineering solutions for the carbon transition is at the heart of Ultima Forma’s technology. Working with Bristol Airport has been exciting in exploring how decarbonized aviation could be brought to life.”
Hannah Pollard, head of sustainability at Bristol Airport, added, “Our region is at the forefront of global efforts to develop zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered flight. The first regional hydrogen flights are expected in the coming years, and Bristol Airport wants to be an early adopter of this exciting new technology. Ultima Forma’s groundbreaking study is a huge step toward us hosting the storage and refueling facilities that we’ll need in the future.”
The ACT Programme has been running since 2022 and provides annual funding to support projects aimed at reducing emissions from flights and ground transportation at Bristol Airport. The airport said the 2026 ACT Programme will open in the spring, with grants available for organizations developing solutions to support the transition to zero-carbon aviation.
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