VIL

Filip Van Hulle

Project Leader VIL

About VIL

 

VIL aims to enhance the competitiveness of Flemish companies in the logistics sector by implementing sustainable and innovative concepts and technologies. It focuses on four topics: digital transformation, green supply chains, hinterland connectivity and last mile.

The European Green Deal stresses the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in aviation and at airports. Airports play a major role as junctions in transport networks, but also as major multimodal nodes and commercial sites.

Filip Van Hulle, Project Leader VIL: “Making airports more sustainable is an important step towards zero emission multimodal mobility and can stimulate the transition to GHG neutral aviation. VIL believes that green hydrogen can play a key role in decarbonising both multimodal mobility and airport related mobility, both airside and landside. This includes passenger transport, logistics, ground handling and operations.”

VIL will contribute to the Stargate project in three ways:

  1. A feasibility study for hydrogen in airports. As hydrogen is relatively new, its potential for different applications in specific settings is not always well known. Airports are environments with a distinct use of energy and fuel, compared to other industries or road transportation.
  2. Creation of a ROI calculation tool for the production and use of hydrogen, to provide insights on the total cost of ownership of hydrogen infrastructure and applications. As the production of green hydrogen using electrolysis based on renewable energy is still cost intensive, there is a need of insight of critical cost components such as the price of electricity, electrolysers, storage tanks, refuelling infrastructure, etc. If on-site production is not feasible, the hydrogen demand for airport ground logistics needs to be calculated.
  3. Proof of concept for the use of hydrogen at the airport. Currently, there is no use of hydrogen in airport environments. This is mostly due to safety regulations and the focus on other sustainable investments – such as electrification and renewable energy. VIL wants to demonstrate the possibilities and safe use of hydrogen at airports.

Filip Van Hulle: “Since we are involved in the energy-related projects within Stargate, we are obviously curious to learn about the solutions that will be developed in the field of Sustainable Aviation Fuels. The main challenge for Stargate will be to maintain the overview on the results and dissemination of the 30 projects within the programme.”