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Liquid hydrogen as aircraft fuel: is it a good way to reduce CO2 emissions?

The members of the Energy and Environment Commission (C2E) of the Air and Space Academy (AAE) whose names follow: Dominique Bajeux, Xavier Bouis, Alain Cassier, Éric Dautriat, Michel Desaulty, Michel Eymard, Jean-Marc Garot, Nicolas Jeuland, Alain Joselzon, Thierry Prunier, Bruno Stoufflet and Gérard Théron spent a year analysing numerous documents on the use of liquid hydrogen as fuel for commercial transport aircraft. Their opinion is the purpose of this report.

Hydrogen has been used for many years in industry and space transport. Much scientific and technical knowledge has been accumulated on its characteristics and its use. Due to climate change, there is renewed interest in hydrogen as an energy vector and for direct use in transport.

Going back in history, one of the first uses of hydrogen for air transport was for airships, the adventure of which ended in 1937.

Some aircraft demonstrators were successfully flight tested (B-57 in 1956 – Tupolev 155 in 1988), but without further development, in particular because of the higher cost of hydrogen compared to kerosene. In the 2000s, the subject was again discussed in Europe, then abandoned.

Being seen as one of the means of decarbonization of air transport, the use of hydrogen is the subject of a renewal of political, media and technical enthusiasm with industrial projects and work of research centers.

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