Aviation is a cornerstone of global connectivity but also a sector under increasing pressure to decarbonize. Liquid green hydrogen (LH2) is one of the most promising alternatives. It combines high energy density with zero CO2 emissions at the point of use. Today, aircraft manufacturers are developing concepts of new aircrafts able to use this new fuel, but airports lack the infrastructure, operational protocols, and regulatory frameworks needed to deploy it safely and efficiently at scale.
ALRIGH2T directly addresses this gap by pioneering the first airport-level demonstrations of LH2 refuelling for aviation in Europe. Demonstrations will take place at two major airports, Milan Malpensa and Paris, to validate the introduction of hydrogen in a real airport environment under different operational contexts and ensure broad applicability. The overall objectives of ALRIGH2T are to:
- To define the technical requirements and boundary conditions for safe, feasible, and efficient LH2 refuelling in European airports.
- To develop and validate innovative components, including a centrifugal pump, an instrumented tank, advanced sensors, and a digital twin model of the refuelling process that, once validated experimentally in the demo, will allow broader investigation of all the variables involved and predictions on future evolution.
- To demonstrate both direct LH2 refuelling and GH2 end-to-end logistics and supply chain solutions at Milan Malpensa and Paris airports, with technologies reaching TRL 6 by 2027.
- To establish regulatory, safety, and environmental frameworks that will help future certification and standardization of LH2 and GH2 operations.
- To share project results broadly, engage with stakeholders and EU initiatives, and ensure a clear pathway to industrial uptake and long-term impact.
The pathway to impact follows a stepwise approach. First, demand, feasibility, and techno-economic aspects are assessed. Next, critical components, logistics processes, and virtual models are designed, built, and tested. Finally, integrated demonstrations at airports provide the evidence needed for validation and future scale-up. This ensures that results are not isolated prototypes but practical solutions that will be able to foster regulatory approval and operational deployment.
ALRIGH2T will prepare the way to enable airports to refuel hydrogen-powered aircraft, support the entry into service of zero-emission aviation by 2035, and accelerate the decarbonization of airport ground operations. Beyond aviation, advances in cryogenic hydrogen management, logistics modelling, safety analysis, and digital simulation will benefit other hydrogen-intensive sectors.
