Manchester Airport is set to be the UK’s first airport with a direct hydrogen fuel pipeline following a new partnership with HyNet, Cheshire’s hydrogen fuel and low carbon industrial cluster.
The airport has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the HyNet’s founding partners: Progressive Energy, which develops projects to decarbonise the energy sector, and Cadent, which will build and operate HyNet’s hydrogen pipeline network.
HyNet’s pipeline network will now supply Manchester Airport, giving over 60 airlines the option to use hydrogen fuel in place of traditional aviation fuel for short-haul connections: a key component of the aviation sector’s decarbonisation. The process also aims to drive innovation and the creation of green jobs for the region.
The announcement has been backed by Aviation Minister Baroness Vere and Energy and Climate Change Minister Graham Stuart, as well as the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and North West Hydrogen Alliance.
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director, Manchester Airport said:
“This announcement demonstrates the meaningful action we are taking to ensure we can deliver a carbon-free future for the aviation industry.
“The partnership between Manchester Airport and HyNet is a significant step forward for the future use of hydrogen across the North West, building a more sustainable future for the region.
“By securing a direct supply of hydrogen for our airport, our 60 airlines will be able to make use of this exciting and ground-breaking technology as soon as possible.
“The use of hydrogen will make a significant contribution to the UK aviation sector’s decarbonisation efforts and supports industry partners in reaching net zero.”
Aviation Minister Baroness Vere said:
“Hydrogen offers great potential to decarbonise flying, but we need the right infrastructure at our airports to help harness that opportunity.
“We are funding the multi-million pound Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure project, which has already published important findings, and it’s great to see industry now pushing ahead in this area to make zero emission flight a reality”.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Graham Stuart said:
“Set to be the new superfuel of the future, hydrogen will be essential in powering UK industries, including the aviation sector, as we move toward ending our dependency on fossil fuels.
“This new partnership is an exciting step that will help put the North West at the heart of efforts to make the UK a world-leading hydrogen economy.”
HyNet will begin to decarbonise the North West from the mid-2020s. By 2030, it will be capable of removing up to 10 million tonnes of carbon emissions from across North West England and North Wales each year – the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.
Chris Manson-Whitton, CEO Progressive Energy said:
“HyNet will transform the region by the mid-2020s through delivering low carbon hydrogen produced locally at the UK’s first facilities including Vertex Hydrogen and a range of electrolytic plants. We have a huge level of demand for HyNet hydrogen from across the North West and North Wales from a range of sectors stretching from glass and paper to food and drink to consumer goods.
“HyNet will enable the decarbonisation of industry and transport sectors and, by developing a hydrogen economy, is set to generate a £17 billion economic impact for North West England and North Wales, providing a much-needed boost for businesses across the region.
“We are extremely pleased to be working with Manchester Airport to make a significant impact on decarbonising aviation as we all play our part in reaching net zero and combating climate change.”
Manchester Airport – as part of MAG – has a target to make its own operations net zero carbon by 2038, 12 years ahead of the UK national target and two years ahead of the target set for UK airports in the Government’s Jet Zero Strategy.
The use of hydrogen fuel technology will play a pivotal role in aviation decarbonisation, alongside other levers including airspace modernisation and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This announcement on hydrogen technology comes a year after MAG announced its partnership with Fulcrum BioEnergy UK which aims to make Manchester Airport the first in the UK to have a direct supply of SAF from the mid-2020s.
MAG’s long-term sustainability plans are detailed in its CSR Strategy “Working together for a brighter future”, published in 2020. Alongside the 2038 net zero target, the Strategy sets out other decarbonisation initiatives and incentives including a commitment to introducing emission-based landing fees for airlines and the publication of league tables in the future.
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