Ørsted to help Edinburgh Airport decarbonise

Danish energy group Ørsted A/S (CPH:ORSTED) and Edinburgh Airport have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work on a roadmap to meet the airport’s net zero by 2040 ambition, the parties said last week.

The plans will include the use of green technologies such as hydrogen fuels.

The partners will aim to find the most effective and affordable options for the airport and work with the Scottish and UK governments on the needed regulatory changes and policies. The proposals will include facilities to produce hydrogen from offshore wind.

In what could serve as a template for other airports, the two will cooperate on decarbonising the energy used in the airport itself, by its vehicles, by the vehicles transporting passengers and goods to and from the airport, as well as the fuel used by the aircraft using the airport.

Edinburgh Airport is owned by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which also has investments in offshore wind, including a 50% stake in Ørsted’s Hornsea One wind farm in the UK.

The project follows the example of the Green Fuels for Denmark project, led by Ørsted and involving Copenhagen airport, SAS airline, Maersk and others. Green Fuels for Denmark is aimed at developing a renewable hydrogen hub to decarbonise transport, air travel and shipping, envisaging 10-MW electrolyser capacity by 2023, 250-MW electrolyser capacity with e-fuel production by 2027 and up to 1.3 GW by 2030.

According to Duncan Clark, Ørsted’s head of UK Region, renewable hydrogen is key to decarbonising heavy transport and air travel.

“Whilst we have made huge strides in decarbonising the way we generate electricity, the next stage is to use that renewable electricity to decarbonise industry and transport,” said Clark. “This will involve renewable energy companies collaborating with forward-looking companies such as Edinburgh Airport,” he added.

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