Hydrogen Infrastructure Feasibility Study Takes Flight at Norwegian Airports

Norway isn’t just dabbling in sustainable aviation – it’s betting big on hydrogen. Avinor handed over in last September the project to Norconsult for six months of non-stop work: a feasibility study mapping out hydrogen infrastructure across its 43-airport network. It’s the first solid move in Norway’s quest to refuel zero-emission jets, from Oslo’s busy hub to the tiniest regional airstrips.

Study Takes Off

The study kicked off on September 1, 2025, and is digging into every link in the green hydrogen chain – from solar-boosted electrolyzers and central production hubs to either cryogenic tankers or high-pressure tube trailers, and on-site storage in specialized tanks or caves. Norconsult will run demand models based on anticipated flights of hydrogen-powered planes, like Airbus’s ZEROe concept. They’ll also scope out retrofits: installing new piping, pump stations, custom refueling arms and ground support gear. It’s a thorough cost and safety drill – covering regulations, land-use tweaks, and everything needed to get hydrogen into the wings.

Context: Norway’s Green Edge

Let’s face it – few places are better set up for a hydrogen pivot than Norway. With fjords slicing through remote regions, air travel is often the lifeline for small communities. That dependency has already pushed Avinor to trial electric flights and sustainable aviation fuels. Meanwhile, Norway’s grid is about 99% renewable, mostly hydropower, making it one of Europe’s cheapest and cleanest electron sources. The Civil Aviation Authority of Norway has even green-lighted experimental flights, creating a rare regulatory sandbox. All that’s left? The fuel itself – plus a how-to guide for rolling out this zero-emission technology at scale.

Why It Matters

Aviation accounts for about 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, so carriers and airports are under pressure to cut their footprint. In Norway, where domestic flights fill in gaps that roads and ferries can’t, hydrogen could shave off a big chunk of emissions on those short hops. And if Norway nails a working refuel network, it’ll have a ready-made blueprint—cold-chain expertise and safety protocols—for other countries racing towards net-zero by 2050.

Detail Dive: Infrastructure Demands

Setting up hydrogen infrastructure at airports isn’t like installing an EV charger. You’ve got to consider:

• Production: green hydrogen made by electrolyzers powered by wind or solar, sized around flight schedules, either on-site or at central plants.
• Storage: Cryogenic liquid needs -253 °C tanks, while compressed gas sits in high-pressure vessels—each with its own safety and space trade-offs.
• Transport: Tube trailers or dedicated pipelines, both demanding strict handling protocols for hydrogen’s low boiling point and high diffusivity.
• Delivery: Refueling arms must maintain pressure and temperature, prevent leaks, and sync with existing ground gear.
• Regulation & Safety: Hydrogen embrittlement, leak detection, fire suppression and zoning rules all need careful planning.

Norconsult will crunch CAPEX, OPEX and buffer requirements while Avinor checks runway layouts, fuel farm space and traffic flows. Miss a detail, and an airport could lose its shot at hydrogen fueling.

Broader Impact

If the green light comes, this could reshape industrial decarbonization in Norway—and beyond. Look for:

• Jobs: Engineers, technicians and safety inspectors at new hydrogen production and storage facilities.
• Supply chains: Higher demand for electrolyzer modules, cryogenic tanks, high-pressure compressors and safety gear.
• Regulations: Data from real operations feeding EU and ICAO standards.
• Cross-sector perks: Maritime and heavy trucking players tapping airport cold chains and refueling tech.
• Economic clusters: Airport regions becoming hydrogen hubs, attracting R&D and investment.

It’s more than jet fuel—it’s kickstarting a broader sustainable energy economy across multiple industries. Get aviation refueling right, and you’ve got a live model for any high-energy application. That domino effect could accelerate the shift to sustainable energy nationwide, and new startups and private investment will likely flood in.

Strategic Angle

Avinor isn’t going solo. They’ve inked an MoU with Airbus, SAS, Swedavia and Vattenfall to pool capital and share risk. On the policy side, the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway is weaving lessons from these pilots into practical regs—no waiting on Brussels. Meanwhile, Airbus gets the operating intel it needs to fine-tune ZEROe and its support specs. The under-the-radar play? Securing reference sites to showcase in global bids for hydrogen aviation service contracts. It’s all about building an exportable success story.

Analyst Take

Let’s be honest: hydrogen aviation is still emerging, and it demands big upfront cash. Electrolyzers aren’t cheap, and supply chain hiccups can throw plans off track. Norway’s renewable grid gives it a leg up, but scaling globally hinges on even cheaper green hydrogen and harmonized regs—neither is guaranteed. That said, Avinor’s thorough feasibility study is exactly the kind of due diligence you need to dodge costly missteps. If they spot a fatal flaw early, great—better to know now than mid-deployment. If everything clicks, Norway could snag bragging rights as the world’s first true hydrogen aviation hub, and everyone else will be studying the playbook.

Dreaming of hydrogen infrastructure for flights is one thing—Norway’s about to see if it can really pull it off. Next checkpoint: data due February 2026.