Justin Watson, the CEO of Christchurch Airport, spoke at the launch and emphasized the resolve of the international aviation sector to decarbonize due to climate change. He stated that significant progress is being made, including successful test flights of zero-emission aircraft and the development of sustainable aviation fuels that can reduce emissions by up to 80%. The Hydrogen Consortium aims to bring together world-class experts to collaborate on green hydrogen, one of the most promising zero-emission fuels.
Airbus aims to develop and put into service the world's first hydrogen-powered commercial passenger aircraft by 2035. To this end, the company will work closely with its consortium partners to assess the energy supply needs in New Zealand. Airbus will use its hydrogen hubs at airports concept to engage with aviation and non-aviation players to perform a complete assessment of energy supply needs to enable the operation of hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Karine Guenan, Airbus' Vice President of the ZEROe Ecosystem, noted that the journey to sustainable aviation requires the establishment of a complete ecosystem involving key players from different sectors. The Hydrogen Consortium brings together pioneering partners with a common goal of making hydrogen-powered aviation in New Zealand a reality.
Christchurch liquid hydrogen solutions company Fabrum has designed the hydrogen-powered technology for the Emirates Team New Zealand chase boat (Chase Zero) and has developed lightweight liquid hydrogen fuel tank technology for aviation use. Co-founder Christopher Boyle is confident that green hydrogen is the future of clean aviation and believes that the consortium will turbocharge the advancement of zero-emission aviation.
Hiringa Energy, a green hydrogen developer, producer, and supplier, is constructing key infrastructure to support the transition to green hydrogen in multiple transport sectors, including aviation, marine, and heavy road transport. Its first four production and high-capacity refuelling stations are set to come online in 2023, with nationwide expansion planned from 2024.
CEO Andrew Clennett stated that New Zealand is well-positioned to be a leader in the green hydrogen space and is motivated to leverage its experience bringing green hydrogen to market to make the transition happen in aviation.
Over the next six months, the Hydrogen Consortium partners will work together to design a hydrogen ecosystem for aviation in New Zealand. The focus of the first phase will be on research, which will be completed by the end of 2023. The consortium will develop a vision for hydrogen aviation in New Zealand, assess the hydrogen supply chain and its challenges, examine the projected hydrogen needs of the local aviation market to 2050, and develop a pathway of policies, regulations, and incentives to promote the development of hydrogen aviation.
The second phase will focus on the potential for hydrogen aircraft test flights in New Zealand. Air New Zealand has two ambitious goals, to fly its first commercial demonstrator flight by 2026 and to replace its Q300 Turboprop fleet with low-emission aircraft from 2030. The airline's Chief Sustainability Officer, Kiri Hannifin, stated that the consortium's work will be crucial to Air New Zealand achieving these ambitions.
Mark Hutchinson, CEO of Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), said the coming together of such innovative organizations marked a significant moment in the pursuit of fossil fuel-free air travel. FFI, a global green energy and technology business, will bring its expertise in mega-scale renewables and zero-emissions green hydrogen production and delivery to the consortium.
The CEO stated that green hydrogen is the key to eliminating fossil fuels from the aviation industry and that the consortium members all have extraordinary expertise in and commitment to the decarbonization of air travel. He believes that the consortium can develop a pathway to make New Zealand a global trailblazer in this pursuit.
The launch of the Hydrogen Consortium is a milestone in the pursuit of sustainable air travel. The consortium, comprised of top players in the aerospace, energy, and aviation industries, is committed to advancing zero-emission aviation through green hydrogen and collaboration with the world's foremost experts.
A focus on research; the potential for trial flights in New Zealand
The Hydrogen Consortium, consisting of international aerospace leader Airbus, global green energy company Fortescue Future Industries, leading world airline Air New Zealand, next generation energy company Hiringa Energy, liquid hydrogen solution pioneers Fabrum, and New Zealand's Christchurch Airport, has a vision to support the commercial deployment of green hydrogen-powered aircraft in New Zealand.
Over the next six months, the partners will work together to design a hydrogen ecosystem for aviation in New Zealand. The first phase will focus on research and will examine the hydrogen supply chain and its challenges, assess the local aviation market's projected hydrogen needs to 2050, and develop a pathway of policies and regulations to promote hydrogen aviation. The second phase will focus on potential hydrogen aircraft test flights in New Zealand.
Air New Zealand aims to fly its first commercial demonstrator flight from 2026 and replace its Q300 Turboprop fleet from 2030 with low emission aircraft. The airline's Chief Sustainability Officer, Kiri Hannifin, believes the consortium's work will be crucial to achieving these goals.
Fortescue Future Industries CEO, Mark Hutchinson, says the coming together of these innovative organizations marks a significant moment in the pursuit of fossil fuel-free air travel. The company is a global green energy and technology business that will bring its expertise in mega-scale renewables and zero-emissions green hydrogen production and delivery to the consortium. The goal is to eliminate fossil fuels from the aviation industry, and green hydrogen is seen as the key to achieving this.
The Hydrogen Consortium is working to make hydrogen-powered aviation in New Zealand a reality. The partners believe that by working together, they will make a big difference in taking zero emission aviation forward and will develop a pathway to New Zealand becoming a global trailblazer in the pursuit of clean air travel.
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