Techno-economic and Life Cycle Assessment of Airport Hydrogen Production Infrastructure for Future Hydrogen-based Aviation

Abstract

The aviation sector faces growing pressure to reduce emissions, as global air travel continues to expand and jet fuel demand rises. Alternatives such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), battery electric, and hydrogen have emerged to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. While SAF offers partial emissions reductions, and electric aviation remains constrained by battery weight and power limitations, hydrogen presents a promising long-term solution. Hydrogen can be used to generate power via combustion or fuel cells, offering the potential for zero carbon emissions. However, implementing hydrogen-based aviation fuel faces challenges, particularly in establishing adequate infrastructure for cost-effective hydrogen production and supply. In addition, it is costly to distribute hydrogen, and early adoption is likely constrained by the availability of a reliable fuel supply chain. This study explores the feasibility of achieving low-carbon hydrogen supply through on-site hydrogen production at airports, integrated with renewable energy sources (RES) and the electrical grid, to increase hydrogen independence and avoid long-distance hydrogen distribution. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is used to determine the optimal component capacity configuration of the on-site hydrogen facility, considering both economic and energy constraints. Under base-case techno-economic assumptions, an optimal configuration results in an annualized total cost of US$22.7 M and a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of US$7.45 per kg of liquid hydrogen (LH2). Sensitivity analyses reveal that the system’s economic performance and operational patterns are significantly affected by variations in component unit costs and efficiencies. Compared to a system powered solely by RES, integrating grid electricity improves both economic viability and energy efficiency. Simulations using projected parameters for 2050 demonstrate the potential for reducing LCOH reduction while increasing RES utilization. Additionally, life cycle assessment (LCA) of the renewable-based hydrogen infrastructure reveals carbon intensities (CI) between 1.47 and 4.17 kg CO₂-eq/kg LH2, which are 3 to 8 times lower than that of fossil jet fuel, highlighting the environmental benefits of renewable hydrogen. The highest emissions are found to be associated with manufacturing RES and storage components due to the use of fossil fuel in material processing. Results also show trade-offs between economic and environmental performance of renewable hydrogen infrastructure in airports: Wind turbine (WT)-powered configuration offer stronger environmental benefits at a higher cost. This underscores the importance of balancing cost and emission reduction in onsite hydrogen infrastructure design for airports.