The Vertical Flight Society’s H2 Aero Team has published a white paper proposing a model for developing hydrogen fuel hubs at airports. The 40-page document outlines what the authors say is a repeatable concept that would first establish a fueling station for ground vehicles and later expand the facilities to support multiple modes of transportation including aircraft.
The H2 Aero Team was formed in January 2022 to build on preliminary work conducted the VFS’s H2eVTOL Council. In March 2022 it staged the first conference in North America specifically focused on the potential for hydrogen-powered aviation.
The white paper covers topics such as policy issues around the use of hydrogen fuel, codes and standards, safety, and the integration of fuel systems with both aircraft and airports. The organizations that assigned specialists to support the work of the VFS group include the following: Zev Station, Bell Textron, ZeroAvia, Shell, Airbus, LTA Research, Chart Industries, and the Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition.
“The white paper establishes a blueprint towards creating hydrogen aircraft and fueling demonstrations, and proposes creating a public-private partnership to enable demonstrations,” said Zev Station founder and CEO Jesse Schneider, who chaired the H2 Aero Team. “The objective is to further prove out the technology and develop confidence in scaling up hydrogen hubs at airports.”