The sky is the limit: South Korea's Incheon International Airport has made a big bet on hydrogen

As part of a new partnership with Air Liquide, Airbus and Korean Air yesterday (February 10), Incheon International Airport in South Korea will develop a hydrogen use roadmap in its operations.

The group, which will decarbonise the airport itself and the wider aviation sector, will support the deployment of a hydrogen ecosystem to support ground operations and hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft.

It is believed that the above work will be carried out in two steps: first, the group will develop a roadmap to first develop hydrogen uses in and around Incheon Airport, and then they will focus on the infrastructure needed to support hydrogen flights.

However, this is not the first step in the field of hydrogen energy at Incheon Airport. In terms of hydrogen, the airport is already ahead of the game, with two operational high-capacity hydrogen stations, which were launched in August last year (2021) with the support of Air Liquide.

François Abral, member of the Air Liquide Asia Pacific Executive Committee, said: "The momentum around hydrogen energy is growing, especially initiatives to accelerate the development of more sustainable aviation.

"South Korea is one of the most hydrogen-active countries in the world and we are excited to participate in the development of the country's hydrogen economy with our partners."

"By starting to introduce hydrogen through mobility projects now, and with ambitions to develop the airport's liquid hydrogen infrastructure in the future, we are contributing to building a more sustainable future."

Under the signed Memorandum of Understanding, the parties will play a key role. Air Liquide will focus on the entire value chain, with a particular focus on liquid hydrogen supply, and Airbus will share expertise in the ground operations of hydrogen-powered aircraft.

In addition, Korean Air will focus on ground aircraft operations as well as aviation management and operations, and Incheon International Airport Corporation will provide an outlook for the airport development plan and, of course, the organizer of the project.

This commitment comes at a time when multiple flight operators are considering hydrogen as fuel for future aircraft, so airports are needed to participate in the transition.

As part of the group, Airbus has pledged to take its first hydrogen-powered aircraft into the air by 2025. EasyJet is also committed to decarbonizing its business using hydrogen, in fact, the company was recently interviewed specifically about it.

Specific to South Korea, the move also supports the government's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.