Hydrogen used to power Kirkwall Airport in UK-first demonstration

Preparation work inside the combined heat and power unit for the demo at Kirkwall Airport (Colin Keldie – EMEC)

A novel hydrogen combustion engine technology trial, led by EMEC at Kirkwall Airport in Orkney, was completed earlier this month. This marks the first time hydrogen has been used to meet both the power and heat demands of a commercial airport in the UK.

Manufactured by 2G, the system was the first 100% hydrogen combined heat and power (CHP) unit of its kind to be installed in the UK. It was positioned airside at Kirkwall Airport and subsequently coupled with the airport’s existing heating system to supply heat to the main terminal building and power across the entire site.

Funded by the Scottish Government via Highlands and Islands Enterprise and supported by work through the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) and Rural Energy Hubs projects, the trial brought together representatives from EMEC and 2G, with support from Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), which manages and operates Kirkwall Airport.

The CHP system used green hydrogen, supplied by EMEC, to generate electricity and recover by-product heat.

Working with airport ground staff, additional electrical loads were activated to test the system, allowing the CHP to supply a steady output. System performance and integration were monitored with the CHP system operating at about 60% capacity. During the trial, the CHP powered the airport terminal and runway lighting, and met the heating demand without the need for the airport’s boilers to run.

Leonore Van Velzen, Operations and Maintenance Manager at EMEC said:

“This project was initially driven by an energy consumption study delivered by EMEC through the ReFLEX Orkney project, which identified key opportunities to decarbonise airport operations.

“Orkney is well established as a hub for energy innovation, where new technologies and their roles in delivering a future clean energy system are demonstrated.

“This trial is a great example of collaboration in action, combining EMEC’s hydrogen expertise, the technical capabilities of 2G, and the operational insight of HIAL’s airport team, specifically the airport fire service. Seeing hydrogen deployed in a live airport environment is a significant step forward in exploring practical decarbonisation solutions, and we’re proud to have supported the safe delivery of this first-of-its-kind demonstration.”

Mark Holtmann, Managing Director at 2G said:

“With over 10,000 CHP systems installed worldwide across a range of gas types, bringing our hydrogen CHP technology to Kirkwall Airport marks a significant milestone for 2G in the UK.

“Demonstrating how hydrogen can reliably deliver both power and heat in such a critical infrastructure setting is an important step towards decarbonising energy-intensive operations.

“This project showcases what’s possible when innovation and collaboration come together, and we’re proud to see 2G’s technology contributing to Scotland’s leadership in the transition to net zero aviation.”

The completion of this trial marks a step toward assessing the real-world feasibility of integrating hydrogen technologies with airport infrastructure. The insights gained will contribute to wider efforts to explore low-carbon solutions across aviation and other sectors.