A hydrogen ground power unit trial at Exeter Airport has produced new operational data on the potential for hydrogen to reduce diesel use and emissions from airport ground support equipment.

The project, conducted by Exeter Airport, Cranfield University and hydrogen technology company ULEMCo, tested a converted dual-fuel hydrogen-diesel GPU under real-world airport operating conditions.

The GPU was deployed over eight operational days and completed 15 tests, using 7.41 kilograms of green hydrogen. Researchers calculated that the trial displaced approximately 24 liters of diesel and avoided about 64 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.

No safety incidents or significant operational issues were reported during the trial, and ground crews found little practical difference between operating the hydrogen-powered unit and conventional diesel equipment.

Researchers also identified limitations that could help determine where hydrogen technology is best suited for airport operations. Because the dual-fuel GPU initially operates on diesel while the engine warms up, equipment used for short or intermittent periods may offer less opportunity to maximize hydrogen use.

The findings suggest hydrogen could deliver greater benefits in GSE with longer or more continuous duty cycles.

Based on the trial results, researchers estimated that converting Exeter Airport’s fleet of seven GPUs to dual-fuel hydrogen operation could reduce annual diesel consumption by more than 11,000 liters.

The trial forms part of the government-funded Zero Carbon Turnaround project, which is examining how hydrogen technologies could help decarbonize aircraft turnaround operations while maintaining existing operational requirements.

The project team said the results provide practical evidence that hydrogen can be incorporated into airport ground operations without major changes to existing workflows while also highlighting areas where further testing and development are needed.