{"id":461113,"date":"2023-10-14T08:39:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-14T06:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=461113"},"modified":"2023-10-14T08:39:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-14T06:39:00","slug":"the-dutch-are-back-at-it-pioneering-aviation-a-century-later-now-using-hydrogen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/the-dutch-are-back-at-it-pioneering-aviation-a-century-later-now-using-hydrogen\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dutch are back at it: pioneering aviation a century later, now using hydrogen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The landing strip of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rotterdamthehagueairport.nl\/\">Rotterdam-The Hague airport<\/a> is as busy as it usually is on a Thursday in October. Planes from and to several, mostly Southern, European destinations land and take off. The noise of the kerosene-powered engines echoes, as it does close to any other airport. Except, this is not a day like the others. Besides the rain, the airport takes the first of many steps to accommodate hydrogen flying and make kerosene a thing of the past.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"io-block io-block__summary\"><ul><li>Dutch startup Conscious Aerospace opened a new hangar, aiming to operate the first commercial hydrogen-powered flight by 2028. <\/li><li>Its HAPSS technology retrofits planes with hydrogen fuel cells, enabling longer, zero-emission flights.<\/li><li>With aviation partners and government support, Conscious sees hydrogen as the future of flight.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.consciousaerospace.com\/\">Conscious Aerospace<\/a> officially opened its hangar at the Rotterdam The Hague airport. The company developed HAPSS \u2013 an acronym for Hydrogen Aircraft Powertrain and Storage Systems \u2013 a technology to retrofit existing planes with hydrogen fuel cells. Despite being established slightly over a year ago, the company set a challenging goal: operating the first commercial flight by 2028.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The target is shared by the Dutch government, too. HAPSS is one of the projects of <a href=\"https:\/\/luchtvaartintransitie.nl\/\"><em>Luchtvaart in Transitie<\/em><\/a> (Dutch for aviation in transition). With a \u20ac264 million allocated budget \u2013 and 119 more earmarked conditionally \u2013 it is the initiative to support sustainable aviation, financed through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaalgroeifonds.nl\/\">National Growth Fund<\/a>. The roadmap to 2028 is tight, but the vision is in sight. And infrastructure and supply promise to keep up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe could have set this goal later in time, but things don\u2019t work if you don\u2019t have a goal to work towards. It\u2019s feasible, but it\u2019s challenging, and we need to move,\u201d states Erik Geertsema, Conscious Aerospace\u2019s CEO. With a long track record in the aerospace industry, he talks in aviation metaphors, stressing the necessity to \u201cpropel\u201d hydrogen flying forward.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link advgb-dyn-4cca6951\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/electric-flying-a-sustainable-solution-for-regional-mobility-within-europe\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"Electric flying: a sustainable solution for regional mobility within Europe\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">Electric flying: a sustainable solution for regional mobility within Europe<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">There are more than three thousand regional airports in Europe. Whoever manages to connect them smartly and sustainably has a network within reach that is not only cheaper than what we are currently used to with freeways and rail connections but can also generate a great deal of new activity.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Immediate impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In pushing the transition, HAPSS comes in as a today-oriented solution. From the powertrain to the tank distribution system and the electrical engine, this technology makes kerosene combustion obsolete. Instead, it doesn\u2019t need a burning of any sort. In fact, the technology powers aircraft through a fuel cell system that transforms liquid hydrogen into electricity through electrolysis. Through this process, the aircraft engine gets the electricity it needs to fly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whereas in the car market, battery-powered vehicles proved to be better options than hydrogen-powered ones, the scenario is nearly flipped in the aviation industry. Batteries are not as efficient as hydrogen. They are heavy and contain less power than H<sub>2<\/sub>. Yet, they still represent an option for short-haul flying\u2014albeit Europe wants trains to replace brief and local flights. By contrast, hydrogen can fuel longer travels. Conscious Aerospace claims HAPSS can cover up to 750 km-long journeys.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HAPSS is designed to retrofit a specific kind of plane, the Dash 8-300, that can carry a few dozen passengers. Accordingly, Conscious has worked with <a href=\"https:\/\/dehavilland.com\/en\">De Havilland<\/a>, the company producing the aircraft, for over six months. On the stage set up for the occasion in the hangar, Michel van Ierland announces that the system perfectly fits the Dash 8-300 just a few hours after landing from a business trip to Canada, where the plane maker is based.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link advgb-dyn-126fff7e\"><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">The future of sustainable aviation<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">Just like everything else, the aviation sector needs to do something about its emissions. Aviation companies and countries have gotten together and set ambitious goals to reach zero emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases by 2050, but is that a realistic goal?<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Revolution from the inside<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Van Ierland is the founder of Conscious Aerospace. As Geertsema, he also has years of experience in aviation, besides being a pilot in his spare time. Therefore, he knows the importance of \u2018making the revolution\u2019 from the inside. And the revolution is hydrogen-powered.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs Allard Castelein [former CEO of the Port of Rotterdam and one of the speakers at the inauguration event]&nbsp; rightfully said, hydrogen isn\u2019t moving away from us. It\u2019s moving towards us. The legislation is being implemented, and there is a desire to roll hydrogen infrastructure out. Although there is a blend of options if we want to go towards zero emissions aviation, liquid hydrogen is the only solution available,\u201d van Ierland remarks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"461119\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.ioplus.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ConsciousAerospace2312-1004x669.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-461119\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"461118\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.ioplus.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ConsciousAerospace2433-1004x669.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-461118\"\/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">On the left, is Allard Castelein, and on the right, Michel van Ierland. &#8211; \u00a9 Conscious Aerospace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ron van Manen, managing director of Luchtvaart in Transitie, strongly agrees. As one of the day&#8217;s speakers, he compared the different technologies, highlighting the \u201cmoral obligation\u201d the Netherlands has in making aviation greener. Six percent of the Dutch CO<sub>2<\/sub> emissions are derived from air transport,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Geertsema\u2019s view, collaborating with the ecosystem and, importantly, with an aircraft manufacturer gives Conscious Aerospace&#8217;s mission credibility and makes it move faster. \u201cThis industry is international, but it\u2019s very small in a way. We know each other, we help each other, and we build together,\u201d the CEO explains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Warm-up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Dutch company is finishing the feasibility study of the architecture. In the coming two years, countless hours of groundwork will come to test, and perfect the solution will come. Parallel to that, the design will continue developing from preliminary to definitive. Flight tests will come. Last but not least, the years to 2028 will also be full of talks with the authorities to \u201cco-create\u201d \u2013 as Geertsema defined the process \u2013 the legal standards of the technology, which are not there yet. With this regard, the hangar will be a paramount testing space.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In producing its technology, Conscious is using the help of many partners, covering different areas of expertise. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tudelft.nl\/\">Delft University of Technology<\/a> is one of them. Besides, the startup can always count on the \u201csupport of the airport,\u201d as per Wilma van Dijk, CEO of Rotterdam\u2019s terminal. As a good landlady, she handed over the hangar\u2019s key to Geertsema on the venue\u2019s stage. As the airport aims to cut off its ground operations emissions by 2030, she also sees hydrogen as a \u201cgame-changer\u201d for the industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.ioplus.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ConsciousAerospace2741-1004x669.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-461114\" width=\"672\" height=\"447\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Geertsema holding the hangar&#8217;s key with van Dijk. &#8211; \u00a9 Conscious Aerospace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cChange of an era\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In another passage of his speech, Castelein spoke of how, nowadays, we are witnessing the \u201cchange of an era\u201d. The future of transport will radically be different, and hydrogen is one of the puzzle pieces. Although the vision must be future-oriented, he underscored the importance of focusing on the problems of today and operating one step at a time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Dutch minister of infrastructure and water management, Mark Harbers, also wished good luck to Conscious in its mission. In his video message, he underscored the necessity of finding a new balance, building on the legacy of Antony Fokker, the pioneer of Dutch aviation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the inauguration event, Fokker\u2019s legacy was brought up in several moments. Dutch pioneering spirit sums up in Conscious Aerospace&#8217;s motto: Dream, Dare, Do, Dutch. In taking the skies once again, the Netherlands wants to be in the captain&#8217;s seat once again, possibly writing the history of the next century of aviation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The landing strip of the Rotterdam-The Hague airport is as busy as it usually is on a Thursday in October. Planes from and to several, mostly Southern, European destinations land and take off. The noise of the kerosene-powered engines echoes, as it does close to any other airport. Except, this is not a day like [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2084,"featured_media":493513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26049],"tags":[47287,81576,69923,1024,70762],"location":[6763],"article_type":[36684],"serie":[],"archives":[],"internal_archives":[],"reboot-archive":[],"class_list":["post-461113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobility","tag-aviation","tag-conscious-aerospace","tag-hydrogen-flight","tag-luchtvaart","tag-waterstof-2","location-netherlands","article_type-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":{"subtitle":"Conscious Aerospace retrofits airplanes with hydrogen fuel cells. IO was there for the opening of their new hangar at the Rotterdam-The Hague airport. ","text_display_homepage":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Mauro Mereu","author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/mauro-mereu\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ConsciousAerospace2575.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mobility<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mobility<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">aviation<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Conscious Aerospace<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">hydrogen flight<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">luchtvaart<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/mobility\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">waterstof<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">aviation<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Conscious Aerospace<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">hydrogen flight<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">luchtvaart<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">waterstof<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 years ago","modified":"Updated 2 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on October 14, 2023","modified":"Updated on October 14, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on October 14, 2023 8:39 am","modified":"Updated on October 14, 2023 8:39 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2084"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=461113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/461113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=461113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=461113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=461113"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=461113"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=461113"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=461113"},{"taxonomy":"archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archives?post=461113"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=461113"},{"taxonomy":"reboot-archive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reboot-archive?post=461113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}