Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) will be home to a new hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) hub, in collaboration with KeyState Energy and natural gas company CNX Resources Corporation.
The proposed $1.5-billion-dollar PIT Hydrogen & SAF Hub would be able to produce both hydrogen or SAF, with the capacity to generate up to 68,000 metric tons of hydrogen annually or up to 70 million gallons per year of SAF. When mixed with regular jet fuel, SAF can significantly reduce traditional fuel usage across flights.
The newly announced facility supports the airport’s previously announced 2022 initiative with CNX to both reduce emissions and lower transportation costs through alternative fuel. The groups also announced that they would seek a federal grant to conduct a logistics study on how to cost-effectively transport SAF fuels produced at PIT to other airports. KeyState, CNX and PIT’s collaboration is also aimed at creating jobs, with a potential 3,000 direct construction jobs created should the project receive the U.S. Treasury’s 45V Hydrogen Production Tax Credit.
“Pittsburgh is once again leading the way on energy toward a more sustainable future,” said Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis. “Increasing SAF and hydrogen production in the U.S. is a necessary first step in reducing carbon output to meet upcoming industry goals, helping aviation earn its right to grow and moving further toward a cleaner, greener future. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners, CNX and KeyState Energy, in cementing Pittsburgh International Airport and our region as a global leader in sustainable energy.”
