Christian Kunsch, Chairman of the Management Board at Hamburg Airport: “Hydrogen is the energy carrier of the future for short and medium-haul routes. If we want to achieve the ambitious sustainability goals of the aviation industry, we must develop and build the necessary infrastructure for this future today. This is only possible in partnership with those who share our pioneering spirit. The Baltic Sea Region HyAirport project is a way for us to collect and share our expertise internationally – as lead partner, we are actively driving research for H2 infrastructure.”

Learning from Each Other – Insights from the BSR HyAirport Project

The BSR HyAirport project conference is not only about the use of hydrogen as aircraft fuel, but also about its use in ground operations as a CO₂ emission-free alternative to fossil fuels. The event serves to exchange findings from practical tests and make them available to all partners. At the same time, experiences from other European networks with similar objectives – the TULIP consortium from the Benelux region and the OLGA project from southern Europe – will be presented at the conference. Hamburg Airport will present the ongoing test of a prototype baggage tractor converted to hydrogen.

Prototype in Practical Test: Conversion as a Sustainable Alternative

The vehicle is based on an existing model with natural gas drive (Mulag 4CNG) and was converted to hydrogen operation by HTM Hydro Technology Motors from Bingen am Rhein. “The test has been very promising so far. We are examining the possibility of gradually converting our fleet of around 60 tractors to hydrogen drive. This would be significantly more sustainable than replacing them with new vehicles,” says Kunsch.

Hall 6: Hamburg Airport at the Hydrogen Technology Expo

From October 21, Hamburg Airport will be represented at the Hydrogen Technology Expo together with the Renewable Energies Hamburg Cluster (EEHH) and the Centre for Applied Aviation Research (ZAL) with a stand. In Hall 6, Stand 6K35, the airport will provide information about the use of hydrogen. The baggage tractor will also be on display in the Hamburg exhibition halls: In Hall B5, booth 5C47, HTM Hydro Technology Motors will present the prototype.

About the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) HyAirport Project:

In the BSR HyAirport project, 15 partners and 24 associated organisations from the aviation industry are developing the infrastructure needed to use hydrogen. Between November 2023 and October 2026, airports, airlines, technology providers, authorities and research institutions will work together on the project to develop, implement and test practical hydrogen solutions. The project covers seven countries – Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden – and brings together partners from across the aviation value chain who want to jointly address the challenges and specific requirements of hydrogen-powered aviation in the BSR region.