A group of four New Zealand businesses have joined forces to introduce the use of hydrogen in an aviation setting during a new trial in Aotearoa.
The trial, which has brought together members of Air New Zealand, Wellington Airport, Toyota New Zealand and Hiringa Energy, sees hydrogen energy being used to charge Air New Zealand’s electric tugs and service vehicles at Wellington Airport (WLG) over the course of the next month.
Air New Zealand Senior Sustainability Manager, Jacob Snelgrove says:Green hydrogen is starting to be used around the world as a low-emission fuel for buses, trucks, trains, and boats.
Aircraft are the logical next step and successful test flights are already underway overseas. The biggest challenge here in New Zealand is setting up the supply, transport, and infrastructure to support fuelling the aircraft. This trial is an important first step to enable the development of that system.
The hydrogen fuel cell used in the trial has been provided by Toyota New Zealand, and utilises hydrogen energy to generate electricity with the aid of Hiringa Energy.
The trial began on 04 March 2024 and is set to conclude on 15 March 2024.
