Many airports, including Schiphol, use Ground Power Units (GPUs). Traditionally, these run on diesel, but there are now also electric versions. Now there is also a GPU that runs on hydrogen. Schiphol already uses it and is the world's first.
Photo: Schiphol
GPUs are generators that supply aircraft with power when they are on the ground. This power is needed to keep the lighting and systems on board running. Where these generators originally ran on diesel, they are slowly but surely being replaced by electric variants, the e-GPUs. In this way, many stationary aircraft at the gates at Schiphol are supplied with electrical power. But not all of them yet.
Capacity
The e-GPUs are only suitable for smaller aircraft, such as the size of the Cityhopper. The e-GPU does not have enough capacity for larger aircraft. The large aircraft can use shore power thanks to a Fixed Power Unit. But if such an aircraft is at a gate where there is no Fixed Power Unit yet, polluting diesel generators are still used.
Hydrogen
Since this month, tests have been carried out at Schiphol with a Ground Power Unit on hydrogen. The H2-GPU was developed by Zepp.solutions from Delft and the Austrian Dynell and can be refuelled on site. This saves a lot of time and vehicle movements. The pilot focuses on the service life of the H2-GPU and its ease of use.
Sybren Hahn, Executive Director Infrastructure at Schiphol Group:
I am extremely proud that we are the first airport in the world to test this innovation at Schiphol. The hydrogen-powered GPU fits in with our ambition to be emission-free with our own ground operations by 2030.
Partners
The trial will run until 2025 and is subsidized by the EU. Various partners are involved, including KLM. Maarten Koopmans, director of KLM Cityhopper, sees the need for the pilot. “It is important that we develop hydrogen-powered equipment to realize emission-free ground operations. Current battery solutions do not always meet the operational requirements. At KLM Cityhopper, we are working hard with our partners on technological solutions that we can ultimately use as standard in our operations.”
TULIPS, a European partnership with 29 aviation parties and knowledge institutes, is also involved and is looking at the results with interest. If the trial proves successful, other airports can also consider hydrogen generators. This is interesting for airports, because they want to make their ground operations more sustainable. And for several airports, e-GPUs are not the solution because the electrical infrastructure in their runway is inadequate.
