Airport in Hamburg trials hydrogen-powered luggage transporters
Hamburg Airport is making strides towards a greener future, as it prepares to test a baggage tugger converted to run on hydrogen. This marks the first time the airport has undertaken such a conversion, and it's all part of the Aviation on a Green Path initiative.
The test, scheduled for July 1, 2025, during the busy summer months, will see the prototype deployed for evaluation. The focus will be on technical functionality, consumption values, and economic viability. The results could serve as a model for other European airports aiming for a carbon-neutral future.
Two recent studies from the "H2-Infrastructure Planning and Conversion of the Baggage Tractor Fleet" project, a collaboration between Hamburg Airport and other airports in the Baltic Sea region, have highlighted the advantages of hydrogen for vehicles with high energy demand, such as baggage tuggers or snow removal vehicles, compared to electric drive. Advantages include short refueling times and constant performance at low temperatures.
Julian Klaaßen, project leader Net Zero 2035 at Hamburg Airport, believes that converting existing vehicles offers a realistic and scalable way to gradually make ground services carbon-neutral. The project is part of the BSR HyAirport project, funded by the EU.
The AI Platform is being used to speed up procedures for hydrogen projects, as plans for a hydrogen flight route become more concrete. The conversion of Hamburg Airport's existing vehicles to hydrogen power is a significant step towards their goal for net-zero airport operation by 2035.
In recognition of these efforts, Hamburg Airport has won the "Best Airport Award 2025". The hydrogen-powered baggage tugger test is just one of many initiatives undertaken by the airport to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to a sustainable future for aviation.
