The role of airports in the economic and energy landscape Airports have a unique role to play in the economic and energy landscape at this crucial time, with a potential for outsized impact. Both the aviation and energy sectors have set targets and started to mobilize to decarbonize, impacting airports as both consumers of energy and critical infrastructure for aviation. By serving as energy hubs, airports could potentially open new opportunities to advance the energy transition for themselves, their customers and the surrounding communities. Technologies to decarbonize aviation that will need to be developed include electricity, SAF and hydrogen. For all three, funding should be in place to develop these technologies, and the cost of delaying climate action continues to grow. Airports can play a key role in advancing these technologies in aviation through their convening power, regional economic development power, flexibility to use land and obtain permits in certain cases and public profile in the surrounding community. As the global energy transition accelerates, there is growing demand for low-carbon energy to power homes, businesses and transport through a range of sources including hydrogen. Hydrogen is well positioned to deliver in multiple use cases in the aviation, ground transport and power sectors.4 In partnership with aviation, transport and energy industries, airports can be positioned to begin deploying hydrogen solutions in key sectors. Exemplary hydrogen use cases at airports Aviation: Hydrogen can be used as battery-electric aircraft fuel for combustion and fuel cells for electric motors, providing a low-carbon footprint, extended range versus electric aircraft and noise reduction. Furthermore, the sector can leverage hydrogen for eSAF (e.g., power-to-liquid). Shifting to alternative propulsion will require a capital investment of $700 billion-$1.7 trillion by 2050.5 However, only 10% of this investment will be for on-airport infrastructure. Ground transport: Hydrogen can be leveraged in fuel cells to power vehicles’ electric motors. Hydrogen provides reduced tailpipe emissions, fast refuelling and a longer range than battery electric vehicles. As a result, ground support equipment can also use hydrogen fuel cells. At airports, hydrogen can be used in baggage tugs, cargo loaders and pushback tractors to reduce carbon footprint and noise pollution where electric alternative may not be viable. Power: Hydrogen can be used for fuel cell microgrids generating electricity by converting hydrogen into electrical energy. Hydrogen provides build flexibility to reduce reliance on the grid and avoid peak pricing and enables load shaving when the grid is under stress due to increased intermittent renewable energy production capacity. Sequence to scale hydrogen at airports Scaling hydrogen solutions for broader airport applications can be broken down into a systematic approach that can help ensure its viability and demand. Feasibility studyConduct a feasibility study to assess the techno-economic viability of hydrogen production, supply, storage and distribution Identify and secure offtakersIdentify and secure core offtakers in potential use cases. Secured demand can help derisk continued investment in hydrogen infrastructure and solution deployment Test end uses in non-aviation contextTest a subset of hydrogen use cases (e.g., parts of Ground Service Equipments (GSE), microgrids). Given the relative nascency of aviation-specific use cases (e.g., hydrogen aircraft), early deployment may focus on non-aviation specific use cases Pilot a test case at an airportCollaborate to begin piloting aviation-specific use cases at airports as use cases mature (e.g., hydrogen aircraft) Scale solutions for aviationScale use cases for aviation through collaboration, partnership and continued investment1 2 3 4 5

AoT Pathways for Airports to Develop into Energy Hubs April 2024