Austrian Airlines trials hydrogen to cut airport emissions
Austrian Airlines is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint by testing hydrogen technology for aircraft maintenance work at Vienna Airport.
The trial marks the airline’s latest move to optimise operations as part of its broader environmental strategy to reduce CO2 emissions.
The carrier has partnered with TEST-FUCHS and Dynell to trial the “H2Genset,” a hydrogen-powered generator designed by TEST-FUCHS.
The generator is being used for the first time in a trial run to power an Airbus A320 on the Vienna Airport apron.
The system uses a highly efficient frequency converter from Dynell to provide emission-free power. This pilot programme aims to explore the feasibility of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source for aircraft maintenance and build the expertise needed to implement the necessary infrastructure at the airport.
The project is seen as a step towards integrating hydrogen technology for mobile energy supply, with the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from ground operations at Vienna Airport. Austrian Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, is working to familiarise itself with the logistics and infrastructure required to support hydrogen-based operations.
As a member of the Lufthansa Group, the airline is committed to the goal of achieving a carbon-neutral balance by 2050. By 2030, the Lufthansa Group aims to halve its net CO2 emissions compared to 2019 levels through a combination of reduction and compensation measures.
