BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 20. Policymakers, industry regulators, and experts gathered at Riga International Airport to discuss hydrogen infrastructure solutions and recommendations for improving Latvia’s legal framework governing hydrogen production, storage, transport, and use, Trend reports.
According to a recent study commissioned by Riga Airport and the Latvian Hydrogen Association and conducted by the law firm Eversheds Sutherland Bitāns, Latvia currently lacks a clear and comprehensive regulatory framework for hydrogen. This absence of clear guidelines is hindering the development of green hydrogen production and its applications, particularly in the aviation sector.
During the seminar, representatives from Riga Airport, the Latvian Hydrogen Association, the Civil Aviation Agency, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Ministry of Transport, the State Environmental Service, and other institutions highlighted several urgent issues.
These included the absence of hydrogen-specific safety and certification standards, insufficient environmental impact assessment requirements, and the need to update regulations addressing hydrogen storage risks.
“Riga Airport is ready to serve as a testing ground for innovation and research projects that bring us closer to economically viable use of hydrogen-powered ground equipment. That’s why it is crucial to strike the right balance between improving existing regulations and avoiding overregulation,” said Normunds Feierbergs, Member of the Board at Riga Airport.
The discussion also emphasized the need to clarify zoning and construction permit procedures for hydrogen production facilities near airports. Hydrogen is currently classified as a hazardous substance, yet there are no specific standards for its storage. Similarly, regulations for hydrogen pipeline transport, airport refueling stations, and hydrogen-powered aircraft remain underdeveloped.
At the European Union level, participants called for the establishment of EU-wide hydrogen production safety standards, mandatory hydrogen storage safety training at airports, and the expansion of the European Hydrogen Backbone network to major airports.
They also recommended prioritizing hydrogen integration into EU airport development plans, incorporating green hydrogen production into European Green Deal funding programs, and increasing EU financial support for hydrogen storage pilot projects at airports to create best-practice models applicable across sectors.
The seminar was organized by Riga International Airport (RIX) within the INTERREG Baltic Sea Region project “BSR HyAirport – Preparing Baltic Sea Region Airports for Green Hydrogen.”
The project aims to create conditions for adapting airport infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered ground vehicles and aircraft, and to prepare airports for the storage, processing, and supply of green hydrogen as a future energy source for aviation.