Electric and hydrogen aircraft may attract headlines, but introducing electric ground service equipment (eGSE), and hydrogen fuel, to decarbonise operations is intrinsic to reaching the mid-century net zero CO2 target set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Increasing product range
Electric GSE/vehicles now offered by specialist suppliers include towing tractors, cargo tugs, lavatory trucks, potable water trucks, container trucks and belt loaders.
Manufacturer Oshkosh AeroTech told Airports International approximately one-third of its orders in 2024 will be for eGSE. Nearly every model of its GSE now has a battery electric option, including the Ranger and Commander line cargo loaders, the CLT-8 loader/ transporter, CPT-7 Transporter, LEKTRO towbarless tractors, and its conventional pushback tractors and B80 baggage tractor.
Project ACORN at Bristol Airport saw hydrogen used to refuel and power baggage tractors servicing easyJet passenger aircraft
Ohio-based Tronair offers a line of electric towbarless tugs – the eJP-3, eJP-10 and eJP-12 – with towing capacities of 30,000lb, 100,000lb and 125,000lb, respectively. Vestergaard, meanwhile, has developed a fully electric chassis for vehicles including water and lavatory carts and de-icing units.
The smallest Vestergaard e-chassis features a 40kWh lithium-ion battery, which the Danish company says has enough capacity to drive up to approximately 50km and operate for about 12 hours. Larger 60kWh and 70kWh chassis are available.
On technical changes necessary for eGSE, Oshkosh AeroTech noted: “It needs to work very similarly to its internal combustion counterpart so that operators will not require additional training.
“Operators should not have to sacrifice performance for reduced emissions. The batteries must have the duty cycle to last a typical ramp shift defined as seven widebody aircraft turns.
“Companies that invest in alternative fuels not only want to see reduced emissions but a return on their investment. In most cases our customers report an ROI of approximately two years when going from internal combustion to electric power.”
Bristol Airport says Project ACORN outputs will help develop industry best practice standards
A regulatory grey area
According to Oshkosh, “GSE standards and regulations fall into a grey area as most of the equipment in this segment is not designed for over the road vehicle standards (although we do use many of these as guidelines to benchmark our design safety standards).”
The company told Airports International: “Our design standards are often based on the work being done by organisations such as [standards organisation] SAE International and IATA, the International Air Transport Association, which post guidelines for their members.”
What are the safety implications of eGSE? Oshkosh said: “When working with electric equipment, there is additional training and PPE that should be used as appropriate for the voltage deployed. The higher the voltage the higher the risk, and more care needs to be taken in terms of keeping operators and maintainers safe.”
The company added: “The best advice we can give is to follow the OEM owner manuals for the equipment they purchase. Electric GSE is not inherently more or less dangerous than internal combustion – just different.”
Frankfurt Airport tested an autonomous electric loader in 2023 as part of its electrification work
Electric benefits
The European Commission’s Alternative Fuels Laboratory has noted the benefits of eGSE, stating: “Due to its low-end torque, frequent start/stops, idle time and short required range, GSE is particularly suited to electrification.
“Hydraulic lifts, refrigeration and pumps (for gasoline, potable water, and sewage) are some of the auxiliary loads that can be more efficiently met by electric power sources (rather than idling diesel motor vehicles).”
The EC report continued: “The presence of electric recharging points at an airport can help reduce traffic congestion caused by GSEs and non-productive travel. Electric recharging points can also be safely located at more locations than diesel refuelling stations.”
According to Oshkosh AeroTech: “Besides aiding in reducing the carbon footprint, the single biggest benefit of converting to electric GSE is the elimination of fuel costs. The other key benefit, not always considered, is the extreme amount of idle time GSE experiences.
“It’s not uncommon for 60% of engine hours on GSE to be from idling. That is a lot of wasted fuel and excess greenhouse gases. With electric equipment, that doesn’t exist.
“Equipment owners experience a reduction in hour metre time, which reduces inefficiencies, wear and tear on components and has a favourable impact on maintenance intervals.”
Tronair highlights lower maintenance costs, reduced noise pollution and improved endurance as the chief benefits of electric GSE which, it said, “makes for a smart investment in the long run”.
Fraport plans to add another 600 cars, buses and dedicated eGSE vehicles by 2026
Tronair told Airports International: “Electric towbarless aircraft tugs don’t use a towbar, so they have full use of their entire range of motion. This means the operator can easily perform 90° turns to precisely and naturally manoeuvre the airplane. With no towbar, an electric aircraft tug has virtually no blind spots…Operating towbarless electric airport tugs typically doesn’t require a driver’s licence or much extensive training.”
Infrastructure demands
Oshkosh AeroTech told Airports International that demand for eGSE will increase, “with IATA’s 2050 [Fly Net Zero] pledge, changes in corporate governance, governmental and political support as well as improved availability and performance”.
However, the electric age does present challenges. Oshkosh said: “A majority of global GSE is still internal combustion so a steady investment will be required over the coming years to replace that installed fleet. Continued investment and collaboration with industry stakeholders on the ramp (airlines, cargo companies and ground service companies) will be essential to ensure sustainability outside the terminal.”
Oshkosh also noted: “The single biggest reason we hear from customers as to why they aren’t investing more and converting their fleets to electric faster is a lack of airport charging infrastructure.
Oshkosh AeroTech says approximately one-third of its orders in 2024 will be for eGSE
“We estimate the total installed GSE fleet to be less than 15% electric today and already, airlines and ground handlers are struggling with charging capacity. Airports are struggling as well, and it’s not as simple as just adding charge stations as many of their facilities have already exhausted available power from their power grids.
“Increasing electric capacity from the grid entails large-scale investments, planning, time and operational disruptions. Other challenges [are] terminal congestion, which is exacerbated with terminal construction projects. It’s a very complicated challenge for all parties.”
The European Commission believes public authorities can assist airports by incentivising eGSE: “This includes providing financial incentives to support the rolling-out of recharging stations, especially non-publicly available ones, as well as more investment in the local and regional power grid to fulfil the demand of supply and income of renewable energy.”
The EC wants to accelerate decision-making by reducing bureaucracy and adopting procedures for faster take-up. “Public authorities should also remain open to change and welcome new projects,” it said.
Smaller airports should be supported to undertake the necessary investments in eGSE, the EC added: “This would also help to maintain the industry’s financial capacity to invest in other climate mitigation measures that can achieve significant emissions reductions (eg, sustainable aviation fuels).
Project ACORN data will also feed into research by groups like Hydrogen in Aviation
Best practice
The EC wants to see airport operators and energy providers working together on planning, taking into consideration “higher electrification needs on airports’ premises to ensure the electrification of vehicles can happen smoothly”.
According to the organisation, access to clean and renewable energy sources “to ensure the highest sustainability benefits” is an issue. It suggests airports could serve as clean energy hubs for their local communities: “This will contribute to energy system integration and also means that investment in storage technologies could become essential for storing excess energy.”
The EC calls on airports and ground services providers to “conduct a comprehensive assessment of their current GSE fleet to identify opportunities for electrification”.
It recommends a strategic plan outlining which GSE have the potential to be retrofitted or replaced with electric alternatives and the associated benefits, charging requirements, power supply enhancements and impacts on maintenance cycles and charging methods.
About implementation, the EC said: “When installing charging stations and deploying eGSE, consider traffic patterns, configurations, regulations, available operational space and existing power supplies. Implement strategic charging station placement to optimise equipment uptime, utilising opportunity-charging and fast-charge technology as necessary.”
The Airbus/HyPort trial at Toulouse was designed to produce around 400kg of hydrogen per day
Bidirectional charging
Germany’s largest airport, Frankfurt, currently has a fleet of around 650 electrically-powered vehicles. Operator Fraport plans to add another 600 cars, buses and dedicated eGSE vehicles by 2026.
Supported by €5m from the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (the airport itself is investing €4.1m), Fraport is researching bidirectional charging equipment – how eGSE (and other electric infrastructure) can serve as mobile storage units able to feed unused power back into the electricity grid on an as-needed basis.
Michael Kuschel, vice-president for Fraport power and networks, said: “Frankfurt Airport is providing an ideal, self-contained field test system for implementing a bidirectional charging infrastructure. Fraport is playing all of the main roles in it: we are both the network operator and its primary consumer.
“The charging points are part of our own infrastructure, and we are also providing the required software. This unique constellation enables us to model the required test environment despite the fact that not all of the technical and regulatory definitions have been fully formulated yet.”
Companies not only want to see reduced emissions, but a return on their investment
Zero Carbon Turn
Away from electric power, there are various projects exploring hydrogen fuel use for GSE/vehicles.
In autumn 2024, the Zero Carbon Turn project at Exeter Airport in southwest England, involving airport owner Regional and City Airports, travel company TUI and Cranfield University, is assessing a hydrogen fuel cell in a baggage tractor, hydrogen internal combustion in an aircraft tug and a hybrid hydrogen-diesel ground power unit.
The trials follow a comprehensive study by Cranfield University of Exeter Airport’s GSE operations during aircraft turnarounds, which showed 78,000 litres of diesel fuel were consumed in a12-month period, resulting in nearly 200 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Ground power units providing electrical power to aircraft on stand emerged as the single largest source of emissions, accounting for nearly 39% of the total.
Elsewhere in southwest England, at Bristol Airport, early 2024 saw Project ACORN conclude – a first-of-its-kind trial for a UK airport, where hydrogen was used to refuel and power baggage tractors servicing easyJet passenger aircraft.
Operating towbarless electric airport tugs typically doesn’t require a driver’s licence or much extensive training
Bristol Airport reported: “Conducted as part of the airline’s daily operations, the trial demonstrated that the gas can be safely and reliably used to refuel ground equipment in the busy, live airport environment.”
Project partners included Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, Cranfield University, DHL Supply Chain, Fuel Cell Systems, IAAPS research institute, Jacobs, Mulag and TCR.
Bristol Airport added: “The group intends to use the outputs of the trial to help develop industry best practice standards, provide guidance to airports, airlines, local authorities and regulators on required infrastructure changes, and support the development of a regulatory framework for hydrogen’s use on an airfield – standards which, due to hydrogen’s nascency in aviation, do not currently exist.
“The data and insights gathered will also feed into research that groups like Hydrogen in Aviation are conducting to ensure UK infrastructure, regulatory and policy changes keep pace with the technological developments in carbon-emission-free flying.”
A Plug Power fuel cell-powered yard dog truck used in moving trailers and containers short distances
Ongoing research
Regional airports’ smaller size makes them ideal for R&D projects, as a joint project at Toulouse-Blagnac, France, involving Airbus and HyPort, a joint venture between ENGIE Solutions and the Regional Agency for Energy and Climate in Occitanie, also demonstrated.
This trial, featuring a hydrogen refuelling station, production, storage and distribution systems, was designed to produce around 400kg of hydrogen per day and power 50 vehicles.
The Glasgow Airport Hydrogen Innovation Hub consortium – led by the airport and Ikigai Group, and including airlines, technology developers, service providers and academia – launched a feasibility study earlier in 2024 to determine efficient green hydrogen production, storage and refuelling solutions.
According to Glasgow Airport: “The project aims to create a blueprint that would future-proof regional airport operations by combining an onsite energy hub with distribution to a variety of local users. These would include aircraft and ground handling equipment on the airfield and landside vehicles such as vans and buses.”
Work is also under way to explore hydrogen at a much larger airport – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.
Earlier in 2024 the airport, Delta Air Lines and Plug Power launched a feasibility study into hydrogen fuel that will conclude in 2026.
Airbus said the study will “help define the infrastructure, operational viability and safety and security requirements needed to implement hydrogen as a potential fuel source for future aircraft operations at Atlanta”, and “contribute to the understanding of supply and infrastructure requirements for hydrogen hubs at airports worldwide”.
On October 18, 2024, Airbus announced a memorandum of understanding with Kansai Airports and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to study the feasibility of hydrogen infrastructure at Kansai, Osaka and Kobe airports.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is working with Airbus, Delta Air Lines and Plug Power on a two-year feasibility study
A long way to go
All these projects are steps forward, and ICAO’s New Fuels roadmap sees promise: “Increased use of non-aeronautical hydrogen can help airports on increasing the understanding of hydrogen handling and build confidence prior to its use on aircraft.”
Nevertheless, ICAO noted: “Liquid hydrogen will be a unique requirement for aviation. Large scale-up and efficiency improvements on liquefaction facilities will be required.”
ICAO added: “Hydrogen aircraft will require infrastructure at the airport to store and distribute the new fuel as well as new operational procedures and ground support equipment.
“A common requirement to all solutions will be the availability of renewable energy, which will enable the sector to meet its in-flight energy demand by 2050 with fuels which need to be manufactured on the ground.”
Hydrogen liquefaction facilities, pipelines, trucks, on-site production and storage facilities are all required to make hydrogen fuel a reality. Developing standards for equipment and procedures, and the supply question, are all key areas.
Oshkosh AeroTech, which has developed hydrogen fuel-cell-powered prototypes of its Ranger cargo loader, and AmpCart mobile charger, told Airports International: “Hydrogen will be a very interesting technology in the years to come.
“We’re very comfortable with the viability of this fuel source in terms of safety and reliability, and of course it’s exciting as it [green hydrogen] has a near zero ‘well-to-wheel’ emission footprint. The challenge, like with electric grid power, is distribution. Hydrogen is a viable technology, but the refuelling infrastructure has a long way to go.”
German airport operator Fraport is researching how bidirectional charging equipment can feed unused power back into the electricity grid
