Airbus this week announced the launch of the Ground Operations of Liquid Hydrogen Aircraft (GOLIAT) project to demonstrate how handling and refueling technologies can be developed for airport operations. The work is backed by a €10.8 million ($11.7 million) grant from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Program.
The European aerospace group, which is working to bring a hydrogen-powered airliner into commercial service in 2035, is being supported in the work by nine partners from eight countries. These organizations include hydrogen propulsion innovator H2Fly, Chart Industries, TU Delft, Leibniz University Hannover, Royal Schiphol Group, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Vinci Airports, and Stuttgart Airport.
The group will develop and demonstrate liquid hydrogen refueling technologies that can be scaled up from small-scale operations to support future large airliners. The partners will also focus on the standardization and certification framework for liquid hydrogen use, and assessing the scale and economics of the hydrogen value chain for airports.