Planning LH₂ infrastructure for H₂-powered aviation: From the initial development to market penetration

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.