The roll out of hydrogen planes in Europe will need €300bn of investment and require a tax on traditional jet fuels, a new study by a clean energy group finds, showing the scale of the challenge for policymakers in driving green aviation.
Airbus, the world’s largest plane maker, has said it aims to fly a zero-emissions hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 but has cautioned about the pace of development of the necessary infrastructure.
The study published by the NGO Transport & Environment on Monday, found that the cost of developing the hydrogen supply chain in Europe would be €299bn between 2025 and 2050, largely made up of the cost of green hydrogen production, liquefaction and distribution.