Sustainability and Environment

Sustainability and Environment

16 February 2026

R&D case: Liquid hydrogen composite tanks for civil aviation

Hydrogen has been identified as a key priority to achieve the European Green Deal for a sustainable economy. By converting the construction of the hydrogen tank from existing metallic solutions to composites, the liquid hydrogen (LH2) composite tank will achieve weight savings that enable the advancement of liquid hydrogen as a sustainable fuel source for civil aviation. This will lower the carbon footprint of air travel and extend the flight range of aircraft by reducing construction weight and cost.

18 November 2025

NLR People: Kylie Knepper, Right at the forefront of innovations in aviation

In the series ‘NLR People’, we show you who the experts at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre are, what drives them, and what they are working on behind the scenes. In this episode: Kylie Knepper, R&D Engineer Aeroacoustics at the Vertical Flight and Aeroacoustics department.

Sustainable aviation in the Netherlands
Sustainability and Environment

15 October 2025

NLR and DLR publish framework for assessing aviation’s environmental footprint

Presented at the EASN International Conference in Madrid, the two aerospace research centres NLR and DLR published a joint guidance for Life Cycle Assessment in the Air Transport System. This uncovers the fundamental gap between in-flight emissions and a comprehensive view of the environmental impact of flying.

Sustainability and Environment

03 September 2025

Maiden flight of a drone on liquid hydrogen, a Dutch first

The HYDRA II, an innovative hydrogen-powered drone of Royal NLR, has made its first successful flights using liquid hydrogen as a fuel carrier. This marks an important step towards developing more sustainable aviation by making hydrogen technology suitable for commercial applications.