Pioneering liquid hydrogen storage with Rotterdam The Hague Airport

The potential of alternative fuels

Aviation today stands at the beginning of a new era. Advances in new technologies could see aircraft propelled by alternative fuels, reducing aviation’s reliance on traditional fossil fuels and helping the industry to realise long-term sustainability targets.

Rotterdam The Hague Airport has the ambition to stimulate the uptake of alternative fuels – with a goal to reduce CO2 emissions to 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve a CO2-neutral aviation by 2050.

Hydrogen, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), and electric flight (e-flight) are the leading alternative fuels being explored today, but many are still in their nascent stage. Seeing them fully realised requires careful testing, demonstration of their capabilities, and close collaboration between airports, airlines, and authorities.

As part of the EU TULIPS consortium, in 2023 Rotterdam The Hague Airport was chosen to carry out testing and demonstration for the storage and refuelling of liquid hydrogen fuel on the airside. NACO, as an external advisor, was appointed to help secure the foundational permitting that would make the project possible.

Paving the way for future hydrogen use, together

Hydrogen is a unique alternative fuel, requiring tailored approaches to production, distribution, and storage. In order to support the required permitting, we carried out a number of qualitative risk assessments (QRAs) and safety studies for a small-scale mobile storage facility and its ideal location within Rotterdam The Hague’s airside landscape.

The small-scale demonstrations scheduled to take place, are expected to form critical contributions to pave the way to future expansion of hydrogen usage in aviation.

With airports, airlines, and regulators invested in the outcome, we began our work by holding workshops to bring Rotterdam The Hague together with other regulatory bodies in the region – from environmental authorities to the local municipality. Together, we discussed the project and planned outcomes, keeping those key stakeholders in the loop throughout.

Securing permitting through safety

Our safety studies were a key part of the project. In conversations with the airport and authorities, we faced questions about how operations would have to change to accommodate hydrogen fuelling. We also had to consider how we locate and design the facility to ensure the safety of passengers, staff, and critical infrastructure.

We worked with the well-established standards for chemical storage in the Netherlands to inform our studies and designs. This formed a proposal that could set a benchmark globally on the storage or use of chemicals such as hydrogen at airports.

Getting the green light to test alternative fuels

As a result of our safety studies, risk assessments and layout plans, Rotterdam The Hague Airport was able to submit a permit application. And in August 2024, the environmental permit was issued by the governing bodies.

The success of the permitting process goes beyond the short-term impact of getting this small-scale demonstration off the ground. For Rotterdam The Hague Airport, it is a big step in the direction of their long-term sustainability goals and desire to stimulate alternative fuel use in the industry.

The facility will also be operational for future R&D users such as NLR, AeroDelft, TU Delft and other organisations involved in research in hydrogen handling at airports.

As part of the TULIPS consortium, this project will have a positive impact on the development of sustainable aviation across Europe and internationally.