ULEMCo has joined forces with Teesside International Airport, RAF Leeming and Newcastle University in a collaboration that will see hydrogen fuel adopted by airport ground support vehicles.
On 6 October, ULEMCo detailed how through Project ZeHyDA (Zero emission Hydrogen Demonstration for Airport applications), a base aircraft tow tug vehicle will be converted to an electric hybrid, running with a 100% hydrogen zero emission combustion engine. The engine will work with an electric drivetrain system and be demonstrated as part of the Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport Hub in ground support vehicles, alongside other work to assess the wider opportunity for using hydrogen at airports and across the region.
ULEMCo will further engage in laboratory testing of a large engine conversion that could be suitable for the 7.5 tonne ground support trucks that also operate at airports. This will form part of a demonstration of the flexibility of hydrogen combustion technologies and their ability to decarbonise a wide range of heavy-duty vehicle applications in a cost effective manner. The tests will seek to show how an engine of this size can be configured to meet the real-world duty cycle requirements of the application, while also delivering no harmful emissions that can impact air quality.
