Import Infrastructure as Aviation Fuel Enabler

The BE.Hydrogen initiative centres on developing import and distribution capacity at Belgium’s two North Sea ports, Zeebrugge and Antwerp, which are positioned to receive seaborne hydrogen shipments from global production hubs. This import-focused strategy directly addresses a supply-chain constraint for aviation: producing sufficient volumes of Power-to-Liquid synthetic aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrogen for direct-use aircraft will require hydrogen feedstock at scales far beyond domestic European electrolyser capacity in the near term.

By establishing dedicated terminals and backbone pipelines, BE.Hydrogen creates the physical pathways necessary for hydrogen to reach industrial clusters where e-SAF production plants and future hydrogen refuelling stations for aviation ground equipment and next-generation aircraft will be located. The programme’s integration with the HY4Link cross-border network extends this reach into Luxembourg and France, linking port import points to inland demand centres.

HY4Link Integration and Transport Corridor Development

HY4Link represents an integrated hydrogen infrastructure project connecting Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, designed to accelerate decarbonisation across the Greater Region. Announced in June 2024 by Fluxys and partners including Creos Luxembourg and GRTgaz, the project establishes a hydrogen corridor that ties directly into BE.Hydrogen’s import terminals. For aviation, this corridor model is significant: it demonstrates how hydrogen can move from coastal import facilities through national transmission systems to reach airports, aircraft manufacturing sites, and SAF production facilities located inland.

The digital optimisation of this network—monitoring flow rates, purity levels, and pressure management across borders—serves as a proving ground for the data infrastructure aviation will require. Electrolyser output forecasting, pipeline digital twins, and AI-driven demand balancing will be essential as airports begin managing hydrogen supply for both e-SAF feedstock and direct aircraft refuelling.

Aviation and Maritime Decarbonisation Convergence

Belgium’s hydrogen infrastructure strategy reflects a broader convergence between aviation and maritime decarbonisation pathways. Both sectors are exploring hydrogen-derived fuels—e-SAF for aviation, e-methanol and ammonia for shipping—and both require large-scale, cost-competitive hydrogen supply. BE.Hydrogen’s port-centric model supports this dual demand, enabling Belgium to position itself as a hub where imported hydrogen serves multiple transport modes.

For aviation stakeholders, monitoring BE.Hydrogen’s progress offers insight into infrastructure timelines, capital investment models, and regulatory frameworks that will shape hydrogen availability for flight operations. As airlines and engine manufacturers advance hydrogen combustion and fuel-cell propulsion programmes, the readiness of ground infrastructure will determine deployment feasibility—making projects like BE.Hydrogen and HY4Link critical enablers of aviation’s energy transition.

Sources

• HY4Link: integrated cross-border hydrogen infrastructure project to accelerate decarbonisation in Belgium, Luxembourg, France
• HY4Link project overview – Creos Luxembourg
• HY4Link: A Hydrogen Network To Decarbonize The Greater Region
• HY4Link: a project linking European hydrogen import hubs

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