ELECTROLYSER DEVELOPED FOR GREEN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION AT GRONINGEN AIRPORT EELDE

A decentralised electrolyser was placed at Groningen Airport Eelde (GAE) on 29 September 2023. A demonstration model to produce, after upscaling, green hydrogen as emission-free fuel for light aircraft, drones and ground equipment at the airport in the future. This afternoon, under the watchful eye of some 80 attendees, Marieke Abbink (director of New Energy Coalition) unveiled the electrolyser, a co-production of Northern producers (including Douna ) and researchers.

With the electrolyser, the industrial hydrogen ecosystem in the Northern Netherlands will get a major boost. For hydrogen technology development, the Northern Netherlands is recognised as an important centre by Europe, which declared the region the first Hydrogen Valley. As a testing ground, GAE is taking several initiatives in the field of making aviation more sustainable. This makes the airport Hydrogen Valley Airport. The WAviatER project is one of the projects through which the airport is giving concrete expression to Hydrogen Valley Airport.

The electrolyser hosts hydrogen production, which uses electricity from the solar farm to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It is thus self-contained and not dependent on connection to a future, yet-to-be-developed hydrogen infrastructure. What makes this electrolyser special is its unique design where the electrolyser stack is located in a water-filled, pressure-resistant jacket. This design contributes to the safety and efficiency of the system.

WAviatER stands for WAterstofproductiechnologie voor de Aviation sector en Energietoepassingen op Regionaal, and is subsidised by the Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In this project, green hydrogen technology is being developed within the consortium involved. Consortium partners are Douna Machinery Leeuwarden, JB Besturingstechniek, REDStack, Demcon, GAE, New Energy Coalition and Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, supported by TNO and VONK.