ZeroAvia Leads HyPRIME Project for Airport Liquid Hydrogen Infrastructure

ZeroAvia is leading the UK Department for Transport-supported HyPRIME project to demonstrate liquid hydrogen aircraft refueling and zero-emission airport operations.

The HyPRIME project is a UK Department for Transport-supported initiative led by ZeroAvia to develop, build, and demonstrate liquid hydrogen refueling infrastructure for commercial aviation. The program integrates hydrogen refueling systems with airport ground support equipment and energy utilities to establish zero-emission airport operations.

Refueling Ecosystem and Equipment Integration
Project HyPRIME (Hydrogen Propulsion Refuelling Infrastructure Mobile Ecosystem) develops, constructs, and evaluates the refueling infrastructure required for liquid hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft. The system integrates ULEMCo’s MATT ground support equipment and GeoPura’s HPU1 Hydrogen Powered Unit.

Demonstrated within a live operational airport environment, HyPRIME evaluates the technical, safety, operational, and economic criteria for deploying liquid hydrogen across United Kingdom airport networks. The trial generates insights into refueling procedures, storage infrastructure, and broader integration benefits for hydrogen adoption in commercial aviation.

Turnaround Times and Efficiency Improvements
A core technical objective of the project is demonstrating aircraft refueling cycles completed within standard commercial turnaround times. To minimize gas wastage and increase efficiency, HyPRIME captures boil-off hydrogen generated during storage and transfer, utilizing it to power hydrogen-fueled ground support equipment and airport power utilities.

Additionally, the system incorporates a Helium-free inerting process to reduce gas wastage, forming an integrated hydrogen aviation energy ecosystem.

Foundation for Commercial Adoption
By demonstrating concurrent operations across aircraft refueling, ground service vehicles, and stationary airport energy systems, HyPRIME establishes operational models for future zero-emission airport infrastructures and hydrogen-powered commercial flight.

Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.