Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 126663 |
| Journal | Applied energy |
| Volume | 401 |
| Early online date | 28 Aug 2025 |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Dec 2025 |
Abstract
To enable hydrogen-powered aircraft operations, liquid hydrogen infrastructure has to be planned well in advance. This study analyses the transition pathway of liquid hydrogen supply infrastructure, from the initial development phase to market penetration, optimizing the design and dispatch of the system. The findings reveal that the single-year approach used in previous studies significantly underestimates the costs associated with supply infrastructure. During the transition phase, substantial investments are required in specific years, leading to high supply costs, particularly in the early years. Off-take agreements could be used to achieve a more balanced cost distribution. For the considered location of a generic airport, on-site liquid hydrogen supply costs range between 3.83 and 5.03 USD/kgH2 assuming a long-term supply agreement. At a less favourable airport, supply costs are 29% higher compared to a favourable location. However, costs could be reduced by up to 12% if hydrogen is imported via vessels or the European Hydrogen Backbone. The primary factors influencing supply costs are the availability of renewable energy resources and the distances to the nearest port as well as hydrogen production hubs. Therefore, the optimal supply chain must be assessed individually for each airport. Overall, this study provides insights and a methodology that can support the development of future liquid hydrogen infrastructure roadmaps for hydrogen-powered aviation.
Keywords
- Energy system optimization, Hydrogen aviation, Hydrogen fuel supply, Liquid hydrogen, Renewable energy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Energy(all)
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Engineering(all)
- Building and Construction
- Energy(all)
- General Energy
- Engineering(all)
- Mechanical Engineering
- Environmental Science(all)
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Applied energy, Vol. 401, 126663, 15.12.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Planning LH2 infrastructure for H2-powered aviation
T2 - From the initial development to market penetration
AU - Schenke, F.
AU - Koenemann, L.
AU - Hoelzen, J.
AU - Schelm, T.
AU - Bensmann, A.
AU - Hanke-Rauschenbach, R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
PY - 2025/12/15
Y1 - 2025/12/15
N2 - To enable hydrogen-powered aircraft operations, liquid hydrogen infrastructure has to be planned well in advance. This study analyses the transition pathway of liquid hydrogen supply infrastructure, from the initial development phase to market penetration, optimizing the design and dispatch of the system. The findings reveal that the single-year approach used in previous studies significantly underestimates the costs associated with supply infrastructure. During the transition phase, substantial investments are required in specific years, leading to high supply costs, particularly in the early years. Off-take agreements could be used to achieve a more balanced cost distribution. For the considered location of a generic airport, on-site liquid hydrogen supply costs range between 3.83 and 5.03 USD/kgH2 assuming a long-term supply agreement. At a less favourable airport, supply costs are 29% higher compared to a favourable location. However, costs could be reduced by up to 12% if hydrogen is imported via vessels or the European Hydrogen Backbone. The primary factors influencing supply costs are the availability of renewable energy resources and the distances to the nearest port as well as hydrogen production hubs. Therefore, the optimal supply chain must be assessed individually for each airport. Overall, this study provides insights and a methodology that can support the development of future liquid hydrogen infrastructure roadmaps for hydrogen-powered aviation.
AB - To enable hydrogen-powered aircraft operations, liquid hydrogen infrastructure has to be planned well in advance. This study analyses the transition pathway of liquid hydrogen supply infrastructure, from the initial development phase to market penetration, optimizing the design and dispatch of the system. The findings reveal that the single-year approach used in previous studies significantly underestimates the costs associated with supply infrastructure. During the transition phase, substantial investments are required in specific years, leading to high supply costs, particularly in the early years. Off-take agreements could be used to achieve a more balanced cost distribution. For the considered location of a generic airport, on-site liquid hydrogen supply costs range between 3.83 and 5.03 USD/kgH2 assuming a long-term supply agreement. At a less favourable airport, supply costs are 29% higher compared to a favourable location. However, costs could be reduced by up to 12% if hydrogen is imported via vessels or the European Hydrogen Backbone. The primary factors influencing supply costs are the availability of renewable energy resources and the distances to the nearest port as well as hydrogen production hubs. Therefore, the optimal supply chain must be assessed individually for each airport. Overall, this study provides insights and a methodology that can support the development of future liquid hydrogen infrastructure roadmaps for hydrogen-powered aviation.
KW - Energy system optimization
KW - Hydrogen aviation
KW - Hydrogen fuel supply
KW - Liquid hydrogen
KW - Renewable energy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105014249189&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126663
DO - 10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126663
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105014249189
VL - 401
JO - Applied energy
JF - Applied energy
SN - 0306-2619
M1 - 126663
ER -