Air Liquide and Groupe ADP are strengthening hydrogen collaboration

Air Liquide and Groupe ADP announce their ambition to create the first joint venture to facilitate hydrogen infrastructure development at airports.

This announcement follows a memorandum of understanding signed in 2021 to carry out feasibility studies to accompany the arrival of hydrogen-powered aircraft.

The purpose of this 50:50 joint venture will be to provide airports in France and across the world with the engineering and services they will need in their transition to hydrogen. As the first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft are expected by 2035, airports need to start reconsidering their infrastructure as of today. In particular, they must look at how liquid hydrogen will be supplied and how it can also serve other ground mobility usages, notably heavy-duty mobility or light ground support equipment.

The services provided will allow airports to meet all the challenges they will face in integrating hydrogen, including:

• Estimated volumes of hydrogen required over time
• The optimal hydrogen supply chain based on the airport’s specific characteristics and location
• Scope and pre-installation work for the hydrogen infrastructure required at the airport;
• Preliminary safety studies
• Cost studies and investment road maps
• Carbon impact assessments

In 2021, Air Liquide and Groupe ADP initiated the first collaboration with Airbus to carry out a year-long study into the configurations of 30 airports worldwide, with a particular focus on Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly.

Air Liquide will bring to the joint venture its expertise in hydrogen, from production through electrolysis, liquefaction, and storage to the distribution of hydrogen to aircraft. Groupe ADP will contribute its expertise in airport engineering and know-how in airport operations.

Matthieu Giard, Vice President, member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee, said, “Airports have to be ready for hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035, and to foster the emergence of a hydrogen mobility ecosystem at large. This is why now is the time to work on adapting infrastructures.”

Edward Arkwright, Groupe ADP Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said, “We expect to have the first ground-based hydrogen technology use cases in place at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports in 2023.”