Birmingham Airport (BHX) will participate in the ZeroAvia-led HyPRIME, a new UK project part-funded by the Department for Transport.
BHX will work alongside ULEMCO, GeoPura and Bristol Airport to design, build and test a mobile refuelling rig capable of supporting hydrogen electric aircraft within standard commercial turnaround times.
It will also supplying hydrogen for ground support equipment and on-site power generation.
HyPRIME will operate in live airport environments to assess practical procedures, safety requirements, economic considerations and the wider operational impacts of introducing liquid hydrogen (LH₂) at commercial airports.
Findings will support future decisions on hydrogen infrastructure deployment across the UK aviation sector.
The multi-million-pound project will enable the airport to test hydrogen handling, storage and refuelling processes.
The airport, which recently announced a 11% reduction in location-based greenhouse gas emissions for 2025/26, remains committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions from its direct operations by 2033, it said.
Tom Denton, Head of Sustainability at Birmingham Airport, said:
“Hydrogen electric aircraft are progressing quickly, and airports need to understand how this fuel can be safely and efficiently integrated into daily operations. HyPRIME gives us the opportunity to test procedures and build the knowledge required to support future zero emission flights from Birmingham.
“Taking part in this project helps us maintain the momentum we’ve built over the past few years and moves us that bit little closer to achieving our mission of running a lower carbon airport.”
Image courtesy of Birmingham Airport
