Dutch test center fuels liquid hydrogen developments
TNO has recently opened a new liquid hydrogen testing facility, which is helping experiment its application in transport.
Published on August 22, 2025
AeroDelft liquid hydrogen's system - © AeroDelft
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The Netherlands Institute for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) has recently unveiled a new liquid hydrogen testing facility in Ypenburg. The center is enabling groundbreaking progress in sustainable aviation, including a successful test of an electric propulsion system powered by liquid hydrogen by the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) student team, AeroDelft. The facility's advanced safety features and expertise allow for the safe experimentation and validation of liquid hydrogen technologies across various applications, from aircraft to maritime transport and beyond.
TNO's new facility is equipped to handle experiments with liquid hydrogen, offering a controlled environment for testing engines, valves, seals, composite tanks, and pipelines. The facility operates with advanced safety measures, including leak detection systems, controlled ventilation, and a specialized vent stack that safely releases any escaping gas at a high altitude, ensuring no unintentional release of hydrogen. TNO has extensive experience in cryogenic testing, previously working with liquid nitrogen at temperatures reaching -196°C. The new facility expands these capabilities, enabling testing at even lower temperatures of -253°C.
AeroDelft's breakthrough
AeroDelft, a student team from TU Delft, achieved a significant milestone by successfully testing a small-scale electric propulsion system for aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen at the TNO Ypenburg site. The test resulted in a successfully operating propeller powered by electricity from a fuel cell, which was fed by evaporated liquid hydrogen. This marked the first time a student team has operated an electric propulsion system using liquid hydrogen.
AeroDelft is currently retrofitting a four-seater diesel airplane into a liquid hydrogen-powered one, with plans to fly it on liquid hydrogen next year. Tamás Farkas, operations manager of AeroDelft, previously told IO+ that they are ahead of the industry in some ways, given the challenges of working with a technology that is not yet fully regulated.
Beyond aviation
TNO is also testing liquid hydrogen applications for maritime transport and propulsion, industrial storage, and defense applications. Richard Pijpers, business developer for Safe & Sustainable Maritime & Offshore at TNO, aims to establish these tests as a standard validation process for liquid hydrogen applications. TNO will also conduct mechanical tests with hydrogen technology to study the wear and aging of components, including tests involving variable loads, vibrations, and pressure fluctuations to ensure the reliability of valves in hydrogen storage tanks and pipelines under dynamic conditions.
The TU Delft Hydro Motion student team has also utilized the facility to validate the tank construction and integration with the energy system for their boat, which is equipped with a custom-made cryogenic tank for safe liquid hydrogen storage.