Fully-funded PhD: Evaluating the role of hydrogen fuel at airports as part of their transition to net zero

The studentship will be based in the new Dalton Building at the University: a £117 million investment and home to the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre.

Hydrogen fuel is expected to play an important role in the decarbonisation of global aviation, with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from many airport activities including flights. However, there are significant challenges, including requirements for new business models and collaborations, differently skilled workers, revised safety cases and procedures, new fuel and power supplies, and new airport infrastructure. Some research exists and there are several pilot demonstrations of hydrogen fuel use at airports around the world. However, knowledge and tools for assessing the potential and benefits of hydrogen fuel use in various scenarios at airports is under-developed.

The project will provide new insights and increase our understanding of these challenges, in particular in relation to new fuel supplies and new airport infrastructure, developing methods to assess the various opportunities, and how best to overcome barriers to the changes needed to shift to hydrogen-based solutions.

This studentship is a collaboration with Manchester Airports Group and will use Manchester Airport UK as a case study to apply and further develop the research.

Project aims and objectives

The objectives of this industry-supported studentship are to:

• Understand the opportunities (scenarios) and barriers to hydrogen fuel use at global airports in the context of reducing an airport operator’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• Develop criteria/methods/tools to assess scenarios - establish appropriate impact criteria for assessment (such as practicality, agency of airport operator, greenhouse gas emissions, cost, sustainability, viability, and safety).
• Evaluate scenarios in line with methods/criteria/tools produced above.
• Determine the requirements for new supply chains, collaborations, airport infrastructure and operational procedures.
• Map scenarios onto a pathway and timeline towards transitioning to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Manchester Airport, UK will be used as a case study to validate the last two of these research outcomes.