- The partnership aims to accelerate the aviation industry’s transition to climate-neutral air travel
LATHAM, N.Y.— Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) announced today a strategic partnership with Airbus to study the feasibility of bringing green hydrogen to future aircraft and airports worldwide.With over 20 years of history, and customers like Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot, Plug Power is the largest buyer of liquid hydrogen globally and has built a ‘hydrogen highway’ across the United States, which already includes over 165 refueling stations that service fleets of hydrogen-powered trucks, forklifts and e-mobility vehicles from industries throughout the nation. Plug Power’s hydrogen fuel cell technology also provides reliable, resilient on-site backup power for businesses and institutions, whether data centers, utilities, retailers or universities.
As part of its ambitious goal of bringing zero-emission aircraft to market by 2035, Airbus has identified green hydrogen as one of the most promising options to decarbonize air travel and will be working closely with Plug Power on a joint study and roadmap that could deliver green hydrogen to aircraft and the airport ecosystem in the coming years.
Plug Power will build deployment scenarios for green hydrogen infrastructure at airports, while Airbus will provide insight on hydrogen aircraft characteristics.
“We’ve already revolutionized electric trucks and industrial fleets on the ground, so now we’re turning our sights to the skies,” says Andy Marsh, CEO for Plug Power. “And we’re thrilled to start this journey with Airbus. Not only do we envision a future where aircraft everywhere are powered by green hydrogen, but the airports that serve them as well, including ground support equipment, forklifts, and vehicles that shuttle consumers around airports, and to gates. In aggregate, this should go a long way toward building a more sustainable future for the global aviation industry.”
Glenn Llewellyn, Airbus Vice-President, Zero-Emission Aircraft, adds: “We at Airbus see huge potential for green hydrogen to power our future zero-emission aircraft. This partnership with Plug Power – a true pioneer in developing green hydrogen infrastructure across the United States, and key points across Europe and Asia – will enable us to leverage their expertise to decarbonize airports while preparing them for the arrival of hydrogen aircraft by 2035.”
Today, the aviation industry represents between 2-3% of global human-induced CO2 emissions. Airports are large cargo hubs that traditionally rely on fossil fuels to power a wide array of ground transport and equipment, and to heat buildings and terminals. Green hydrogen, which is produced through the electrolysis of water with electricity generated from renewable energy sources, has been earmarked by a variety of industries as a potential means to achieve their decarbonization targets, and the aviation industry is no exception.
As part of the partnership, Plug Power and Airbus will select a US airport to serve as the first “Hydrogen Hub” pilot airport in North America, serving as a case study for hydrogen infrastructure scale-up at other airports. Airbus launched its “Hydrogen Hub at Airports” concept in 2020 to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements for future hydrogen aircraft, as well as low-carbon airport operations, across the entire value chain. Plug Power and Airbus will also consider setting up a range of joint projects as part of this partnership to further pioneer the deployment of green hydrogen infrastructure for aviation, at scale.
Learn more about the potential for green hydrogen in aviation. Tune into the Plug Symposium on October 14, 2021, to hear from Mr. Llewellyn and other industry thought-leaders. Register today at https://cvent.me/lz49q2.
About Plug Power
Plug Power is building the hydrogen economy as the leading provider of comprehensive hydrogen fuel cell turnkey solutions. The Company’s innovative technology powers electric motors with hydrogen fuel cells amid an ongoing paradigm shift in the power, energy, and transportation industries to address climate change and energy security, while meeting sustainability goals. Plug Power created the first commercially viable market for hydrogen fuel cell technology. As a result, the Company has deployed over 50,000 fuel cell systems for e-mobility, more than anyone else in the world, and has become the largest buyer of liquid hydrogen, having built and operated a hydrogen highway across North America. Plug Power delivers a significant value proposition to end-customers, including meaningful environmental benefits, efficiency gains, fast fueling, and lower operational costs. Plug Power’s vertically-integrated GenKey solution ties together all critical elements to power, fuel, and provide service to customers such as Amazon, BMW, The Southern Company, Carrefour, and Walmart. The Company is now leveraging its know-how, modular product architecture and foundational customers to rapidly expand into other key markets including zero-emission on-road vehicles, robotics, and data centers. Learn more at www.plugpower.com.
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