Six aviation and energy businesses have formed a sustainable propulsion partnership in New Zealand to assess and drive the introduction of flights powered by green hydrogen. The Hydrogen Consortium has been established by Airbus, Air New Zealand, Christchurch Airport, Fortescue Future Industries, Hiringa Energy and Fabrum. Together, the companies will create a vision for hydrogen-powered air transport in the South Pacific nation, study the hydrogen supply chain, assess projected hydrogen needs for New Zealand aviation to 2050, and develop a package of policies, regulations and incentives to promote hydrogen-powered air transport. The first phase of the programme will be to research introduction of the fuel and to design within six months a hydrogen ecosystem for New Zealand’s aviation industry. The group will then explore whether test flights of hydrogen-powered aircraft can be performed in the country.

The consortium was launched at Christchurch Airport, which is developing a 400-hectare renewable energy precinct. “The consortium will see some of the world’s best experts collaborate on one of the most promising zero emission fuels – green hydrogen,” said the airport’s Chief Executive, Justin Watson.

The initiative follows Air New Zealand’s recent sustainable aviation partnership expansion, in which nine aircraft or powertrain manufacturers have been appointed as technical advisors to the airline as it progresses plans to introduce zero-emission aircraft on regional air routes from 2026 (see article). Membership of The Hydrogen Consortium also underscores Air New Zealand’s growing interest in hydrogen as a potential fuel, adding to an earlier collaboration with Airbus to explore how hydrogen propulsion would work in the airline’s network.

“To fly hydrogen-powered aircraft in New Zealand will need an aviation ecosystem that can support it,” said Kiri Hannifin, Air New Zealand’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “The Hydrogen Consortium brings together energy, aircraft, airline operator and airport expertise with the aim of bringing this to life. We can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.” The airline plans to operate its first zero-emission aircraft type by 2026, and to replace or upgrade its 23 Q300 turboprops from 2030. It is also actively progressing the introduction of sustainable aviation fuel.

Karine Guenan, Airbus VP of the ZEROe Ecosystem, said achievement of sustainable air transport required collaboration between partners across the aviation and energy sectors. “The consortium we are building brings together a number of pioneering partners with a common interest – to make hydrogen-powered aviation in New Zealand a reality.”

Within the new consortium, Airbus will engage with aviation and non-aviation stakeholders to assess energy supply needs to enable the operation of hydrogen-powered aircraft. Airbus is planning to develop a new hydrogen-powered commercial passenger aircraft for entry into service by 2035.

Hiringa Energy, a New Zealand-based developer, producer and supplier of green hydrogen, is already constructing key infrastructure to support the transition of all transport modes to the new fuel and will activate its first four production and high-capacity refuelling stations this year, ahead of national expansion in 2024.

“There are green hydrogen-fuelled buses, trucks, trains and boats already in service,” said Hiringa’s CEO. Andrew Clennett. These include the chase boat which his company is fuelling for Emirates Team New Zealand, the nation’s entry in the 37th America’s Cup yacht race in Barcelona next year. “Aircraft are a key next step and this consortium has formed to ensure these planes have the infrastructure and hydrogen supply they need to take off here.”

Christchurch-based liquid hydrogen company Fabrum, which designed the hydrogen propulsion technology for the Team New Zealand chase boat, has developed a lightweight liquid hydrogen fuel tank for use in aircraft. “Having these organisations around the same table will turbocharge what we all learn,” said Fabrum co-founder Christopher Boyle. “Together we’ll make a big difference in taking zero emission aviation forward.”

A global green hydrogen technology company based in Australia, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has a growing involvement in the aviation sector. It promotes the use of hydrogen and ammonia produced from 100% renewable energy. “We are on a mission to eliminate fossil fuels, including from the aviation industry, and green hydrogen is the key to achieving this,” said FFI’s CEO, Mark Hutchinson. “The consortium members all have extraordinary expertise in and commitment to the decarbonisation of air travel, and together we believe we can develop a pathway to New Zealand becoming a global trailblazer in this pursuit.”

The company is already a green hydrogen partner of Airbus and is collaborating with US-based Universal Hydrogen, which has developed a containerised fuel system in which green hydrogen, stored in capsules, is transported to airports and loaded directly onto the aircraft it will be used to power, sidestepping the need to use or upgrade airport fuelling infrastructure. The company is preparing to test fly a prototype aircraft in the US.

Christchurch Airport has cut its emissions by 90% since 2016 and now advises other airports on decarbonisation strategies. In 2020, it was the first to achieve the newly-established Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4/4+, the airport industry’s highest carbon reduction recognition. It received the accreditation after cutting its Scope 3 emissions by 83% through the installation of ground source heating and cooling in its terminal building and reducing Scope 2 emissions through the introduction of LED lighting and improved energy efficiencies. It also introduced ground power for aircraft, eliminating the need to use their fossil fuel-powered auxiliary power units while at the airport.

Image: The liquid hydrogen-powered Airbus ZEROe concept aircraft in the turboprop configuration

New Zealand’s aviation sector has consistently shown a pioneering commitment to sustainability, and is now embracing a move towards electric propulsion, reports Tony Harrington. Regional airline Sounds Air has just announced it will acquire three Heart Aerospace ES-19 electric airliners, emerging as the first Asia-Pacific operator to choose the Swedish all-new aircraft. The carrier’s switch to electric aircraft comes at a time of significant national focus on sustainability, as the New Zealand government, guided by recommendations from the country’s independent Climate Change Commission (CCC), frames the first of three five-year emissions budgets, to be implemented across all industries by 2035. Electric and hydrogen propulsion systems, along with sustainable aviation fuels, were promoted prominently in recent submissions to the Commission from airlines, airports and energy providers, each seeking to influence policies and funding priorities to cut aviation emissions.

From 2026, Sounds Air intends to operate Heart Aerospace’s zero-emission 19-seat planes, initially between the national capital, Wellington, at the base of the North Island, and provincial communities including Blenheim and Nelson atop the nearby South Island. The airline, which currently operates four 12-seat Cessna Caravans and six nine-seat Pilatus PC-12s, is targeting all-electric operations by 2030, with a strategy that could also include retrofitting some of its Caravans should such a modification be available, affordable and viable.

Last year, Christchurch Airport facilitated the first flight of an electric aircraft in New Zealand – a two-seat Pipistrel Alpha Echo – and Sounds Air is now outlining its plans for scheduled flights with e-craft within five years. Chairman Rhyan Wardman said the airline planned initially to operate the ES-19s in addition to its current, conventionally-fuelled Caravans and PC-12s, as it gradually transitioned to all-electric operations.

The ES-19s will have an operating range of 400km, precluding nonstop service between all destinations on the Sounds Air network, but Wardman said improved battery capacity was expected to deliver longer-range versions of the aircraft towards the end of the decade, enabling unrestricted network coverage.

He said the airline was considering reducing its fleet of Caravans once the ES-19 entered the fleet, but added it might still retrofit some aircraft with electric propulsion systems if conversions were certificated, although it did not want to lead such a programme. Wardman was not aware of any plan by Pilatus to provide electric propulsion for the PC-12, but said Sounds Air would be interested in exploring such an option if offered.

The decision to introduce three ES-19s, and likely more, followed an extensive review of proposed electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft, including retrofitted versions of current aircraft types, revealed Wardman. Inspired by concept designs of Eviation’s Alice all-electric commuter aircraft at an international air show prior to the pandemic, he said the airline quickly recognised zero emission regional aircraft were appearing on the horizon at a time when Sounds Air was shaping its long-term growth strategy.

“We already knew that we needed to migrate from the Caravans and PC-12s to a 19-seat aircraft, and as we delved more into it we realised that we could be an early adopter of the next generation of regional aircraft,” he explained. “We thought if it was going to be airlines like ourselves who led this change, then why not us?”

Sounds Air approached New Zealand’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority with details of the re-fleeting plan, and secured funding support to conduct a feasibility study to identify the optimal aircraft type and energy source for its new operations. The airline also engaged with airports in its network, in particular its biggest gateway, Wellington, as well as electric power suppliers Marlborough Lines and Mercury Energy to help inform its decision.

“We were fairly agnostic about what technology we would embrace as long as it propelled our ambition for zero emission operations,” said Wardman. “We looked at all of the aircraft in development and in the end, it came down to two main contenders, Heart Aerospace and ZeroAvia, which was testing hydrogen options.”

He reported significant work was now required to gain certification of the ES-19 for operation in New Zealand, a process he was confident would be aided by European and American certification of the type for customers Finnair, with orders for 20, and United Airlines and its regional partner MESA, with orders for 200. Others such as Icelandair are also actively considering the ES-19 for their regional services.

But for New Zealand’s aviation industry, the shift to decarbonising technology is not just focused on electrifying short-range flights. It also wants to expedite the shift to hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels to help decarbonise medium to long range operations.

In its submission to the Climate Change Commission, national carrier Air New Zealand said it expected to reduce emissions on domestic routes “from electric, hybrid, and/or hydrogen aircraft,” and predicted that by 2035 30% of domestic flights in New Zealand would be electrified.

In parallel submissions to the Commission, Christchurch Airport and Hiringa Energy provided strong endorsements of hydrogen propulsion for medium range flights.

“The leading development pathway for domestic fleet to low emission fuels is the conversion or retrofit of existing aircraft with hydrogen-electric powertrains,” they said, using the example of turboprop Q300 aircraft, a type operated by Air New Zealand, and a major focus of technology transitioners such as Universal Hydrogen. They argued that switching existing turboprops to fuel cell technology would not only enable reshaping of regulations and infrastructure for domestic operations, but also carve a path towards carbon-free narrowbody flights between New Zealand and neighbouring Australia.

Rhys Boswell, Christchurch Airport’s General Manager Strategy and Sustainability, said initiatives including the country’s first electric flight, the continued provision of ground power for aircraft using gates in its terminal, participation in a detailed industry assessment of hydrogen power, and the appointment of a major external consultancy to help identify and structure a future fuel supply strategy, were all clear steps by the airport towards decarbonising aircraft operations, in addition to substantial measures already taken to reduce emissions from its own activities, and consideration of further initiatives including sustainable financing.

“We’re optimistic that the New Zealand domestic market could be one of the first in the world to operate electric or hydrogen powered aircraft,” he said. “We’re signalling to the airlines that we’re thinking of the infrastructure investment needed to support their future operations.”

Although strongly supportive of new propulsion technologies for short to medium haul operations, Air New Zealand’s representation to the Climate Change Commission advocated strongly for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in New Zealand, alongside imported supplies to help ensure diversification and continuity of supply. Air New Zealand urged “an aviation-specific energy strategy”, which, among other things, incentivised SAF production, prioritised feedstock supply for low-carbon aviation fuels and established a graduated blending mandate.

“SAF is the key aviation decarbonisation technology immediately available. For long-haul air travel, SAF is the only current option for decarbonisation,” said the submission. “As well as enabling real abatement, investment in the development of a SAF sector would come with strong associated economic and social benefits to Aotearoa (New Zealand), including by creating skilled jobs benefiting regional Aotearoa in the construction and operating phases, and enabling more resilient fuel supply chains rather than relying solely on imported fuels.”

Air New Zealand said a SAF consortium, in which it is partnered with SAF specialists Scion, Z Energy, LanzaTech and LanzaJet, “has shown there is a viable pathway to SAF production in Aotearoa based on forest residues, supplemented by waste and, over time, power-to-liquid technologies.”

Another potential fuel base it identified was sugar beet, which is used in ethanol production but not currently certificated as a sustainable feedstock in New Zealand.

“Policies are needed to prioritise feedstock use for SAF production given it is more expensive to produce and is the only technology available for meaningful aviation decarbonisation,” the airline said.

Air New Zealand stated emissions reductions in New Zealand from the use of SAF would occur from 2025. It suggested enabling measures including a SAF production incentive per litre, capital grants to help establish SAF production and infrastructure, together with financial incentives for feedstocks that are sold for mandated SAF production. The SAF consortium said 200 million litres of SAF could be produced domestically by 2035 and 1,000 million litres by 2050. But, added the airline, “given the lead time that is required to establish SAF production in Aotearoa (five years), and the criticality of SAF to aviation decarbonisation, urgent action is required.”

Image: Heart ES-19 in Sounds Air livery

Christchurch Airport in New Zealand has become the third airport in the world to reach the new higher level 4 certification of airport industry’s Airport Carbon Accreditation voluntary programme. Whereas Dallas Fort Worth and New Delhi Indira Gandhi airports have been recognised at Level 4+ Transition, Christchurch is the first airport to achieve Level 4 Transformation. The new levels have been brought in by airports body ACI to reflect airport carbon reduction targets that are aligned with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. To attain this accreditation, Christchurch has been required to address broader emissions in its carbon footprint that include all the significant operational sources on and off site, as well as demonstrate evidence of actively engaging and leading its stakeholders towards delivering emissions reductions.

“This achievement demonstrates the airport’s firm commitment to invest in a more sustainable future for aviation and for the region it serves,” said Stefano Baronci, Director General for ACI Asia-Pacific. “Without a doubt, it is a remarkable milestone at a time of unprecedented challenges for aviation. For airports, it is essential to recover from Covid-19 in a more agile and sustainable way, and Christchurch Airport is clearly leading the way in working towards decarbonisation. We hope other airports in the region will follow its leadership.”

To achieve Level 4 Transformation of the programme, an airport has to define a long-term carbon management strategy oriented towards absolute emissions reductions. Accreditation requires the airport to:

• Compile an extended carbon footprint (for Scope 1 and 3);
• Formulate a long-term, absolute emissions reduction target, aligned with the 1.5 or 2 degrees C pathway outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;
• Define the steps to achieve this target and the interim milestones to measure its progress; and
• Demonstrate evidence of actively driving third parties towards delivering emissions reductions.

Having already been accredited at Level 2 Reduction, Christchurch Airport’s General Manager Planning & Sustainability, Rhys Boswell, said its Level 4 Transformation submission took three months to complete.

“We were required to present a verified Carbon Footprint, a Carbon Management Plan in line with the UN Paris Agreement, and a Stakeholder Partnership Plan to influence Scope 3 emissions,” he confirmed. “All this went to an independently verified accreditor who scrutinises carbon accounting and airports. We provided independently verified proof of all our carbon reduction achievements.”

Boswell said the airport had reduced its Scope 1 emissions by 83% over the past year, from 1,186 tCO2e to 204 tCO2e, through installing ground source heating and cooling in the terminal building. Scope 2 emissions have reduced by 27% against a 2015 baseline year, through LED replacements and improved energy efficiencies.

“Plus, as part of our commitment to support the aviation industry transition to a low-carbon future, we have installed aircraft ground power,” he added. “When an aircraft is on the ground, it can use electricity rather than jet fuel and so saves approximately 730 tCO2e per plane per year.”

The airport’s carbon policy goals are to achieve net zero emissions by 2030 and absolute zero emissions by 2050.

“We have worked hard to demonstrate how emission reductions factor into our airport planning and decision-making, now and into a low-carbon future,” said Boswell. “Being recognised as the world’s first airport to demonstrate best practice in this area is a good feeling.”

Added Christchurch Airport CEO Malcolm Johns: “As a regional airport, we set a good example for our regional peers and for the airport industry as a whole. We show that small is big when you are bold enough to set the bar higher on climate actions and to deliver on ambitious environmental goals. We will continue to work diligently to build a more sustainable aviation in strong cooperation with our business partners.”

Commenting on Christchurch’s new accreditation, Air New Zealand’s Head of Sustainability, Lisa Daniell, said: “It’s great to see this kind of industry-wide commitment and collaboration happening to reduce carbon emissions. For Air New Zealand, having infrastructure at Christchurch Airport to plug aircraft into ground power on the tarmac, instead of running systems like air conditioning and cabin lights from the APU unit, which burns fuel, has helped us to reduce our own emissions.”

In October, Christchurch Airport saw the launch by start-up ElectricAir of New Zealand’s first electric plane, a two-seat Pipistrel Alpha Electro. ElectricAir has received support from the city council’s Innovation and Sustainability Fund and the Christchurch Agency for Energy Trust. The airport is also supporting the project as part of its electrification and decarbonisation programme, which will be the inaugural user of the airport’s newest charging infrastructure.

“We use electricity to power jet aircraft while they’re parked on the ground, we offer EV and e-Bike charging stations, so installing e-plane charging infrastructure was a natural next step,” said Boswell. “We are proud to be the launch pad for ElectricAir and to further power up to keep emissions down.”

The airport has also announced it is exploring the long-term potential of building what it describes as a “world-class sustainable airport” in Central Otago, on the lower South Island. It has purchased 750 hectares of land and the airport would start with a 2.2km, jet capable runway and a small terminal building. However, said Johns, the airport would be consulting with the local community before proceeding with the project.

Photo: Christchurch Airport