Finavia
is committed to promoting the development of sustainable air traffic in
Finland and joined Hydrogen Cluster Finland in January 2024. Finavia
also participates in an international EU project, part of Interreg
Baltic Sea Region Programme, where the company will be the first in
Europe to pilot the use of hydrogen in maintenance equipment. The pilot
will take place at Helsinki Airport.“In
the future, hydrogen will be a potential energy source for airport
equipment and in aviation. We are preparing for the use of hydrogen and
the infrastructure needed for it, both in terms of our own equipment and
the needs of airlines and companies operating at the airport,” says Henri Hansson, Finavia’s Senior Vice President responsible for sustainability, technology, safety and security.
The
business-led national hydrogen cluster was established to promote the
Finnish hydrogen economy. Finavia joined Hydrogen Cluster Finland in
January 2024 with the aim of connecting Finavia’s airports and air
traffic to the Finnish hydrogen ecosystem.
“Replacing
aviation kerosene with a fossil-free alternative, i.e. fuel made from
renewable raw materials as well as electricity and hydrogen, plays a key
role in reducing the emissions from air traffic. As a Finnish airport
company, we want to be among the leading European companies in
innovating the applications of new motive powers.”
Helsinki Airport is piloting hydrogen as a motive power for heavy equipment
At
Helsinki Airport, Finavia is the first in Europe to pilot the use of
hydrogen as a motive power for heavy maintenance equipment. The pilot
experiment is part of the international Baltic Sea Region HyAirport
project.
Hydrogen
handling provides valuable experience for future aviation needs. The
three-year hydrogen project has been granted EUR 4 million in EU
funding.
“Hydrogen-powered
equipment and, in the future, hydrogen-powered aircraft will lead to
new requirements for airports. Our experience in the supply, storage and
distribution of hydrogen provides us with valuable information for the
development of airport operations and infrastructure,” says Mikko Viinikainen, Finavia’s Senior Manager, Sustainability and Environment.
In
the Baltic Sea Region HyAirport project, Finavia will replace one of
the engines of a Finnish-made sweeper blower with a piston engine that
burns gaseous hydrogen.
“Finavia
has about 20 heavy snow removal machines at Helsinki Airport alone that
could, in the future, use hydrogen fuel for motive power.”
Photo:
A sweeper blower used for snow removal weighs more than 30 tonnes, and
the equipment consumes 80% of all the fuels used by Finavia.
Finavia believes that, in the future, several low-emission technologies will be used simultaneously at airports.
“Finavia’s
maintenance equipment already uses renewable fuels extensively. In the
future, small and medium-sized equipment will be electrified and
hydrogen-powered solutions will be developed for the heaviest machines.
These solutions are now being piloted in the project that has just
started,” Viinikainen says.
However,
the change will not happen overnight. In aviation, development work and
the safe introduction of new solutions take time.
“Promoting
sustainable air traffic is a common goal for the entire industry, and
we strongly believe that hydrogen is one of the future solutions,” SVP
Henri Hansson says.
Finavia
is a leader in sustainable development in the aviation industry. In
2025, Finavia will achieve net zero carbon emissions from its own
operations at 20 airports in Finland.