Hydrogen in Korea: Airbus, Air Liquide, Korean Air and Incheon International Airport to work to promote decarbonization of sector

The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to explore the use of hydrogen at the airport serving Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

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The agreement includes the feasibility study for the development of a Korean national airport infrastructure to support the operation of hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. «This partnership reflects a shared ambition to drive the emergence of an innovative aviation sector dedicated to supporting the Korean government’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050,» an Airbus statement said.

The parties will also work to assess, define and develop the infrastructure necessary to fuel hydrogen for aircraft operating at Incheon International Airport.

Hydrogen has been presented as an interesting possibility to decarbonize the industry, but in the long term as the technology has not yet reached maturity. Hydrogen-powered aircraft emit no greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Also, it can be generated without emitting CO2, so neither its production nor its use would have a negative impact on the environment.

President of Airbus Asia-Pacific word:

Commenting on the agreement, Anand Stanley, President of Airbus Asia-Pacific, said, «In the coming years, the Korean aerospace ecosystem will have to adapt to new fuels and new distribution channels. Airbus and its partners must coordinate to ensure we are ready.»

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«Under the MOU, Airbus will provide hydrogen-powered aircraft ground operations characteristics, as well as fleet aircraft characteristics and energy usage. Together we will prepare a roadmap to first develop hydrogen uses in and around Incheon Airport. Then build scenarios to support the deployment of hydrogen ecosystems connected to other Korean airports,» he added.

Air Liquide, for its part, will provide its expertise in the hydrogen value chain domain. This includes production, liquefaction, storage and distribution, and will emphasize the supply of this type of fuel.

Under the agreement, Korean Air will also provide expertise in ground fleet management and in-flight aircraft operation. For its part, Incheon International Airport Corporation will provide insight into the airport’s development plan, along with the specifics of air traffic and inter-terminal distribution.