Finavia first in Europe to pilot hydrogen to power heavy-duty airport vehicles

Helsinki Airport is the first in Europe to pilot hydrogen to power heavy-duty airport vehicles

Finnish airport operator Finavia is involved in the HyAirport hydrogen project for airports in the Baltic Sea region. Finavia wants to research and promote the use of hydrogen at its airports and develop logistics needed to utilise hydrogen. The HyAirport project aims to promote fossil-free air transport in the Baltic Sea region and has been granted four million euros in EU funding.

“Hydrogen is a potential source of energy for the airport’s heavy-duty fleet and, in the future, for short-haul flights. We are excited to accelerate the opportunities offered by hydrogen in aviation,” says Mikko Viinikainen, Finavia’s Director of Sustainability.

The aim of the international hydrogen project is to develop the hydrogen supply chain from production to refuelling of airport fleets and aircraft, as well as testing operations.

“In the project, Finavia will lead the testing of hydrogen in the use of the airport’s winter maintenance equipment. We will replace the engine of a brush blower used for snow removal with a piston engine that burns green hydrogen and renewable diesel. Storing and supplying hydrogen to the airport fleet also gives us valuable experience for the future of hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Finavia has about 20 snow removal machines at Helsinki Airport alone, which could run on hydrogen power in the future. The project will bring gaseous hydrogen to the airport as an energy source for maintenance equipment that cannot be electrified due to its huge power demand.

“In addition to heavy airport equipment, we are investigating the requirements set by hydrogen-powered aircraft and their refuelling for airport infrastructure.

A significant step towards fossil-free aviation

For the hydrogen project, the EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region Program funding programme has granted four million euros in funding to an airport consortium to which Finavia and the project’s partners belong. International cooperation is planned for three years, which is an important step towards fossil-free aviation in the Baltic Sea region.

“Finavia’s goal is to reduce the carbon emissions generated by its own operations to net zero by 2025. The level will be reached at Helsinki Airport already next year. In the future, hydrogen-powered airport fleets will offer additional solutions for removing carbon emissions,” says Mikko Viinikainen.

The HyAirport project, led by Hamburg Airport, will start in November 2023. In addition to Finavia, several airport operators in the Baltic Sea region, such as Swedavia, Lithuanian airports, Riga Airport and Tallinn Airport, are involved. In Finland, research institutes and universities, as well as airport equipment manufacturers and authorities, are also participating in the project.