While the commercial news was quiet, the airshow was far from it, with crowds everywhere.

On Wednesday, Sustainable aviation startup ZeroAvia revealed that it will be partnering with Dutch flag carrier KLM to attempt a test flight. This would be a flight using liquid hydrogen as fuel between two cities.

As for the timing for when such a test flight could take place, ZeroAvia founder and CEO Valery Miftakhov said that the partners are initially looking at 2026 at the latest.

Asked what kind of aircraft would be used for the test, Miftakhov said that he could not specify but that it would be similar in size to the ATR 72 or DeHaveland Canada DHC-8.

At the moment, ZeroAvia is steadily making progress, having successfully produced multiple turboprop engine variants. These have been fitted to aircraft such as the DHC-8 and Dornier 228.

Thai Airways Extends Agreement to Maintain Boeing 777 Fleet

Thai Airways signed a deal with General Electric (GE Aerospace) to continue to maintain its Boeing 777 fleet. The service provided by GE Aerospace is dubbed the “TrueChoice” service, which includes maintaining, repairing, and overhauling the Thai Airways GE90 fleet.

Thai Airways remains a loyal customer of GE Aerospace, having used the GEnx on its Boeing 787 fleet expansion and equipping its fleet of Airbus A321neos with CFM LEAP engines.

• READ MORE: Farnborough Airshow Kicks Off With a Handful of Orders

The Thai flag carrier’s CEO, Chai Eamsiri, said that GE Aerospace “continues to prove itself as the right maintenance provider for our GE90 engines. This agreement extension ensures comprehensive coverage for our engines well into the future.”

Airbus Makes First Aircraft Lessor Partnership of ZEROe Program

Airbus has revealed that it will be partnering with Avolon in order to study Hydrogen-powered aircraft and reduce emissions in the aviation industry. This is the first partnership with an active lessor in the project’s history.

The European aviation manufacturer’s environmentally friendly project includes four concept aircraft, with all four carrying under 200 passengers. Its main goal is to make the first hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 and then start selling these commercially.

At the moment, progress is heavily underway, with other partners, including London Gatwick Airport (EGKK) for infrastructure, easyJet, and Air Products, the world’s biggest supplier of hydrogen.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post ZeroAvia, KLM to Partner for Hydrogen-Powered Test Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

ZeroAvia, a developer of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems, on Monday announced it completed a $116 million Series C funding round to support certification of its ZA600 engines and the scaling of its technology for larger aircraft.

The round was co-led by previously announced financiers Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, and NEOM Investment Fund, as well as the U.K. Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), which joined as a “cornerstone-level” investor. Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Horizons Ventures, Alaska Airlines, and several others were named as participants.

“This is a great example of the bank supporting a first-of-a-kind technology that has real potential to have a telling impact on carbon emissions and help position the U.K. at the forefront of a developing green hydrogen ecosystem,” said Ian Brown, head of banking and investments at UKIB.

According to ZeroAvia, the bank’s financing will promote the company’s growth plans in the U.K., where it has been predicted that one-quarter of carbon emissions will come from aviation by 2050.

“ZeroAvia has grown rapidly in the U.K. as we have worked to deliver two major historic milestones in aerospace engineering, as we look to preserve the benefits of flight through clean propulsion,” said Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia. “This backing by such a preeminent investor as [UKIB] will help us deliver the first commercial zero-emission flights and help the U.K. realize substantial export potential.”

UKIB, meanwhile, has the opportunity to become a market leader in the country’s quest to eliminate aviation emissions by the 2050 timeframe. Founded in 2021, the bank’s mandate is to back emerging technologies and crowd in private investment while driving regional growth and taking on climate change. It said a successful rollout of hydrogen engines in aviation could catalyze the development of wider hydrogen infrastructure.

“Aviation and hydrogen are sectors that need significant private investment to get to net zero,” said Brown. “By providing confidence to investors, our equity has helped to crowd in the private investment needed for the continued development of this cutting-edge technology and should help stimulate the development and deployment of hydrogen technology across other hard-to-decarbonise sectors.”

ZeroAvia’s latest funding comes three years after a series A investment led by Breakthrough Energy, the Climate Pledge Fund, and other participants in November’s round netted it $21.4 million. It followed that up last year with a Series B from Barclays, Neom, International Airlines Group, and American Airlines, bringing its total raised to $150 million.

The company is starting small: Its ZA600 engine, a 600-kilowatt, hybrid-electric powertrain, will be retrofitted on regional turboprops with nine to 19 seats and a range of 300 sm (260 nm) by the end of 2025. Two years later, the ZA2000, a 2-5 megawatt model, is expected to support aircraft with 40 to 80 seats and a 700 sm (608 nm) range.

So far, ZeroAvia has secured experimental certificates to test its engines with the FAA and the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) using three separate testbed aircraft.

The company has already hit several flight test milestones, most notably using a Dornier 228 equipped with one ZA600 engine and one conventional stock engine. Since completing its maiden voyage in January, the aircraft has gone through a range of tests, including flying at 5,000 feet, weathering a 23-minute endurance test, and operating in just-above-freezing temperatures.

ZeroAvia says it has a number of engineering partnerships with key aircraft OEMs, such as Cessna, Beechcraft, and de Havilland Canada. It claims to have nearly 2,000 preorders from major global airlines, including United Airlines, which in 2021 signed on as an investor and agreed to purchase up to 100 engines.

Simultaneously, the manufacturer is working on several projects. The most recent is a collaboration with Airbus to explore certification for hydrogen-powered systems. The partners also intend to examine liquid hydrogen fuel storage, fuel cell propulsion testing, and the development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

Another venture involves Textron, with which ZeroAvia will collaborate to install the ZA600 on a Cessna Grand Caravan turboprop. The company is also working with European airport operator AGS Airports to develop hydrogen fuel infrastructure and zero-emission routes, while a partnership with autonomous cargo aircraft developer Natilus will see it add its engines to the company’s Kona model.

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The post ZeroAvia Completes $116 Million Series C to Support Hydrogen-Electric Engine Tech appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia, Natilus Partner To Develop Hydrogen-Electric Cargo Aircraft

The series of tests, conducted at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in the U.K., included cruise testing aimed at developing projections of the potential ranges the aircraft could cover using the experimental propulsion system. The recently completed flights also set the stage for longer cross-country flights that will be part of the next stage of testing, ZeroAvia said.

After performing the first flight of the Dornier test aircraft in January, with the ZA600 mounted on one wing and a conventional engine on the other, the company has tested a number of performance categories, including altitude, speed, and duration. 

The test aircraft has flown at 5,000 feet, performed an endurance test of 23 minutes, and operated in a range of temperatures from just above freezing to almost 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia, AGS Airports Enter Hydrogen Fuel Partnership

“Critically, throughout all phases of testing, the fuel cell power generation and electric propulsion system that are the core components of the novel zero-emission engine performed at or above expectations,” the company said. “The hydrogen-electric engine has matched the power of the conventional, fossil fuel engine on the opposite wing, with the pilots able to fly with thrust generated only from the experimental clean propulsion system in certain tests.”

The post ZeroAvia Completes First Round of Flight Tests with Hydrogen-Electric Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Under the agreement, ZeroAvia’s ZA600 engine will be the only hydrogen-electric propulsion source offered for the Kona, designed to be a short-haul feeder UAV, the companies said.

• READ MORE: UPS Feeder Airline Intends To Buy 20 Pilotless Cargo Planes

The Kona’s BWB design boosts its hydrogen storage capacity compared with more conventional aircraft, potentially increasing range and cutting costs, according to the companies.

The partnership is meant to combine ZeroAvia’s expertise in hydrogen-electric powertrains with Natilus’ BWB design “to create a scalable, long-range, and zero-emission air cargo delivery solution for the entire industry,” the companies said.

After three years of wind-tunnel testing, Natilus recently completed a round of flight tests with a quarter-scale prototype aircraft. ZeroAvia has completed eight test flights of its prototype ZA600, 600kW engine in a 19-seat testbed aircraft, the companies said.

“Natilus has a long-term commitment to being a responsible steward of our environment, instituting practices that can protect the environment through continual improvements to save fuel and water, reduce waste, air emissions, noise, and material consumption,” said Aleksey Matyushev, co-founder and CEO of Natilus. “The Natilus-ZeroAvia partnership goes further, bringing the talents and innovations of the two companies together to deliver much needed innovation in the air cargo delivery industry and multiple solutions for our customers.”

“We all depend on air cargo operators, and some communities depend on them absolutely, so improving the economics and environmental impacts of these operations while increasing service levels is a massive opportunity,” said Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia.

Natilus said it has more than $6.8 billion in order commitments and more than 460 aircraft preorders from companies including Ameriflight, Volatus Aerospace, Flexport, Astral, Aurora International, and Dymond. The company is working on construction of a full-scale Kona technology demonstrator with a wingspan of 85 feet.

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In fact, we are already doing it, according to key industry leaders from ZeroAvia, Daher, Textron eAviation, Pilatus, and Elixir, at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s luncheon. “GA is the solution to this,” said Kyle Martin, GAMA vice president of European affairs.

The event focused squarely on illuminating that message so that those who were there could spread it beyond the walls of Messe Friedrichshafen—and beyond the confines of the general aviation industry into the greater world that needs to understand it. Rather than being an easy target for blame under the auspices of climate change, GA already demonstrates the innovative answers that are possible. Stopping flying is not the answer—flying in better and more sustainable ways will be.

Eric Hinson, GAMA chairman for 2023 and president and CEO of Simcom International, kicked off the lunch with his observations. “I’m going to begin by talking just a little bit about the importance of GA—and I think that’s an important message that we in the industry need to do a better job of communicating. [GA] is basically a connectivity tool that connects people, product, and services.” Those not in GA see it through a myopic view—the high net-worth individual who gets out of a jet—and not for the intrinsic value it provides to nearly everyone in some way.”

Those companies working on solutions in both short- and long-range segments include, according to Hinson, GAMA members and others which are “working on hydrogen-powered solutions…[and] working on electric propulsion to replace fossil-based fuels—and so I’m very confident that over the next 10 to 15 years we are going to see significant advancements in our capability to replace fossil-based fuel for short-range flying. That’s happening here in Europe as well as in the United States. 

“The other area that is equally important is really focused on long-range flying, because we’re always going to have a power-density problem for some time to come—so the long-range solution there is a lot tougher. And of course, the answer there is sustainable aviation fuel.”

There are several legitimate concerns about the current implementation of SAF both in Europe and North America. The first lies in its composition—what biosource it’s derived from, and whether corn-based, cooking oil-based, or various silage-based processes. A second concern lies in how “green” the process of making the fuel is—such as the source of electricity for the manufacturing plant—and how much energy is used in delivering the fuel from its production facility to the distribution points on airports. As Martin would sum up later in the program, in pointing out the value of the book and claim system that allows operators to take credits for SAF entered into the fuel stream: “Trucking tanks of SAF from a Neste factory in Finland to the south of Spain is not the most sustainable approach.”

A corollary to this lies in the current state of electric propulsion, which we have seen this week in several spots on the show floor at AERO—Pipistrel and H55, for two examples—but both directed at short-hop training flights and perceived by some as having limited value to the marketplace.

It’s easy for naysayers to throw rocks at these efforts, but the fact is we won’t get to a solution unless we work on the problems and try new things.

The State of GA in Europe

Martin followed Hinson at the luncheon with his insights into the status of the general and business aviation industries in the EU and UK, including the recovery post-pandemic and political elements affecting both that return to “normal” and moving forward.

“The great news is that we are powering through the COVID recovery,” said Martin. “We are showing growth across all four main product sectors, whether it’s piston airplanes for the training market, turboprop airplanes for the transportation and air services market…the business jet market is growing and coming back—it’s being held back a bit by supply chain constraints, but many new products are coming to the market and that will help boost numbers in the years ahead. And the helicopter market’s finally coming back.”

In addition, traffic numbers reflect the normalizing of the GA industry, with 2022 IFR traffic numbers showing “strong growth versus 2021,” as Martin noted.

Martin also emphasized the value of GA in sustainability problem solving: “Our industry is absolutely the incubator and the growth engine for sustainable and safe aviation technology.” Yes, it’s simply easier to innovate and iterate using small aircraft—we witness all the time how new tech in our GA cockpits “trickles up” to larger platforms until it makes it onto a Part 25 transport category jet a decade—or more—later. At Oshkosh this summer, you’re certain to see an airline captain gazing wistfully at the instrument panel on an RV-series. The most innovative solutions will happen first in the skunkworks of our GA manufacturers, the labs of small but feisty aerospace startups, and in the hangars of our kitbuilders. The first applications may be limited in scope—but that’s the point. You want to test things on a small batch first.

Industry Panel on Workforce, Energy

In parallel to the discussion of sustainability is attracting the workforce that will develop it. To this end, the discussion turned to an industry panel led by Cate Brancart, GAMA’s manager for European operations and safety. 

The panel featured:

• Cyril Champenois, co-founder and CMO of Elixir Aircraft
• Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher’s Aircraft Division
• Jane Lefley, strategy associate for ZeroAvia
• Rob Scholl, president and CEO of Textron eAviation
• Urs Thomann, director of technologies and processes, Pilatus Aircraft

Scholl’s organization—newly formed to consolidate Textron’s efforts in several future-leaning sectors—represents well the human energy derived from a company’s dedication to innovation. “We are seeing a lot of people express interest in coming to work for our organization,” said Scholl, “because everything that we’re doing right now—as you see from this group on stage—is new…For those people who want to take on the challenge in this exciting industry, these projects offer a unique opportunity to really get into something that no one in the world has done before.”

That’s a key part of the GA story we need to tell, according to the panelists.

Specifically, bringing young people into GA OEMs is another goal—and one that Elixir seems to have done naturally, with an average age of 34 or 35, according to Champenois. “We are at a turning point in general aviation,” he said, regarding not only energy sources but the way aircraft are manufactured to reduce parts count and streamline processes. “We feel that [the younger generation] was kind of lost for the past 20 years because nothing was really moving.”

A market-based approach will provide the most practical solutions. “We all know that we have the difficult challenge [ahead] to transition to the alternative fuels,” said Chabbert. “This is something that is a ‘must.’ We all know that this is on our trajectory to become neutral by 2050—it’s a key element to our strategy. But…let’s go back to the roots. What is the market wanting? ‘Cause if we’re just about to propose a bunch of technologies, I think we’re probably going to miss the main thing that we’re doing, [which] is to address the market needs.”

As for attracting new entrants to the workforce, Daher relies upon its apprenticeship program. “We have renewed our workforce, and the way that we do that is through apprentices—we have doubled the number of apprentices about every year, so it is a growing number of new people to us.” The younger generation is environmentally sensitive, he added, “so I think they are also after a project that is going to rehabilitate Earth.” Of the apprentices they engage, 80 percent transition to full-time employment, according to Chabbert.

“Agility is one thing that is going to be important,” said Thomann. “If the workforce is agile in selecting their employers, then the employers have to become agile as well.” A diverse workforce is a critical piece too—and across the industry panel, they discussed how they are helping to grow the applicant pool so that the best and brightest minds get the education they need and become visible to the companies that need their talents. Pilatus has also recently implemented better compensation strategies to help attract and retain the people it wants in the organization—instead of keeping bonuses until the end of the year, they incorporate the higher pay rate in a much more transparent way so that its personnel can plan more accurately.

In order to ensure a diverse talent pool, Chabbert added: “We need to bring in schools—I mean, it is not new, it is nothing that has not been done, it is something that we stopped doing. We have to resume and get the schools into our plans so [the students] can actually practice, and get themselves exposed to the different jobs. With the kind of diversity that we’re talking about, it is data management with a technology-driven approach.”

Telling the GA Story

All of these topics circle back around to one critical concern: Many governments around the world appear to be moving against the GA industry, setting targets for carbon emissions that may not be realistic. If we don’t achieve those goals, will the rug be pulled out from under us? That question was the final one put to the panel—poignant at AERO because of recent movements in the Netherlands’ Schiphol Airport to propose a ban on business jets, and there’s legislation in France seeking to reduce or stop short-haul flights—or the insane idea we might ban flying altogether in order to achieve net-zero.

To combat this, we need to take control of the narrative. “We have to educate… we are not a victim…we have to be proud of saying our story—and say it loud and clear: that is what we do and why we do it,” said Chabbert. “We need to make our story and to praise it.”

Lefley concurred: “I agree with you—I think the industry faces an existential threat ultimately, which is why new technology like what ZeroAvia is doing is so critical. One of the things we need to do is to educate governments and the public about the fact that people are doing this already, and that it can be done safely.

“I think it’s easier to use technology than to force everyone to stop flying,” she concluded.

It’s a global story we must tell, and the examples set in the EU—making progress on regulatory coordination and public understanding—will provide a roadmap for the innovation of the industry to drive us forward.

The post General Aviation Has a Great Sustainability Story To Tell appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The test flight of the Dornier 228 retrofitted with ZeroAvia’s ZA-600 hydrogen-electric engine is a cornerstone of the HyFlyer II development program that aims to develop a 600kW powertrain that’s able to support zero-emission flight of aircraft with up to 19 seats. The development project is partially funded by the UK Government’s Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATI) program.

“This is a major moment, not just for ZeroAvia, but for the aviation industry as a whole, as it shows that true zero-emission commercial flight is only a few years away,” Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, said in a statement.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia, AGS Airports Enter Hydrogen Fuel Partnership

The aircraft’s left wing was retrofitted with the ZA-600 engine, which operated in tandem with a single Honeywell TPE-331 stock engine on the right wing.

“In this testing configuration, the hydrogen-electric powertrain comprises two fuel cell stacks, with lithium-ion battery packs providing peak power support during take-off and adding additional redundancy for safe testing. In this testbed configuration, hydrogen tanks and fuel cell power generation systems were housed inside the cabin,” ZeroAvia added in the statement. “In a commercial configuration, external storage would be used and the seats restored.” 

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia Acquires Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Developer HyPoint

The flight, according to the company, was a success.

“All systems performed as expected,” ZeroAvia said. “This is the largest ZeroAvia engine tested to date, and places the company on the direct path to a certifiable configuration to be finalized and submitted for certification in 2023, with this program also serving as key to unlocking speedy technology development for larger aircraft.”

The January 19 test flight is the latest in a string of recent advancements for the U.K.-based company.  

In November, ZeroAvia and AGS Airports announced an agreement to explore the development of infrastructure that will allow hydrogen fuel for aircraft traveling between Aberdeen and Glasgow airports in Scotland.

The post ZeroAvia Tests Dornier 228 with Hydrogen-Electric Engine appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The companies—including Airbus, Ampaire, Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies, Bye Aerospace, Eve Air Mobility, Joby Aviation, Lilium, Overair, Signature Flight Support, Skyports, Supernal LLC, Vertical Aerospace, Wisk Aero, and ZeroAvia—say that while sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are “an immediate solution to decarbonize the sector,” it is vital to also invest in future aircraft technology.

• READ MORE: Is Los Angeles Becoming a Battleground for eVTOLs?

“The world is currently experiencing the most exciting time in aviation since the dawn of the jet age,” the companies said in their letter. “Recently, the White House correctly recognized this by listing net-zero aviation technologies as one of five priorities in its ‘U.S. Innovation to Meet 2050 Climate Goals’ for the newly formed Zero Emissions Game Changes Initiative.” 

The companies attested that the technologies they represent “provide the first and best long-term path to achieving net zero aviation emissions.” They noted that “electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen aircraft will begin commercial operations as soon as 2024 and provide the aviation industry its first net-zero operations” for short haul, regional and long-haul flights.”

The companies also stressed the need to develop new infrastructure specifically designed for zero-emission aircraft and keep pace with advancements made in other countries.

“Other nations around the world have begun to heavily invest in zero-emissions technologies because of the environmental and societal benefits that will accompany them. The United Kingdom’s Aerospace Technology Institute announced a 685 million pound investment over three years specifically for zero emission technologies.

The European Union and its member states have also committed over a billion euros in Investment,” the letter reads.

The companies said that by embracing new technology the U.S. could create jobs while helping to decarbonize the aviation sector. “Since the dawn of flight, the United States has led the world in the research, development, and advancement of flight. In part, this has led to the aerospace and defense sector being the number one exporting sector annually.”

In the future the U.S. could maintain its leadership by prioritizing zero-emissions aviation, the companies said, noting that they “stand willing and ready to engage and assist in supporting this leadership.”

The post Industry Consortium Lobbies for More Federal Sustainable Aviation Investment appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

AGS, based in the U.K., owns and operates Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Southampton airports. The team is working closely with ZeroAvia’s specialist airport infrastructure team to assess the opportunities for hydrogen production onsite, as well as establishing commercial air routes.

In the meantime, ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets, initially targeting a 300-mile range in 9 to 19-seat aircraft by 2025 and up to a 700-mile range in 40 to 80-seat aircraft by 2027.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia and Textron to Build Hydrogen-Electric Engine for Cessna Grand Caravan

According to the company, switching some routes to aircraft powered by ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrain will help AGS Airports to significantly reduce Scope 3 carbon emissions from aircraft and reduce noise and air quality impacts locally.

“The development of hydrogen powered aircraft has the potential to completely revolutionize aviation, and it is becoming an increasingly viable option for regional and short-haul aircraft,” said Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports. “As a regional airport group serving the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as well as the Channel Islands from Southampton, AGS will be the perfect testbed for hydrogen flight. Through our partnership with ZeroAvia, we’ll address some of the challenges associated with the generation, delivery, and storage of hydrogen on-site and how we can prepare our infrastructure to support zero emission flights.”

AGS is also exploring how hydrogen can be used to remove emissions across ground operations, further extending the impact.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia to Retrofit CRJ Series Regional Jets with Hydrogen-Electric Powertrains

ZeroAvia plans to share its experience in developing and operating its Hydrogen Airport Refuelling Ecosystem (HARE) at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire. The partners will work towards a flight demonstration powered by ZeroAvia’s ZA600 600kW hydrogen-electric engine, which is on a path towards certification by 2025, with commercial routes from Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city, to follow soon after.

Aircraft relevant to ZeroAvia’s ZA600 engine already operate from Glasgow, and there is a potential to expand zero-emission flights across the AGS group to Aberdeen and Southampton.

​“In recent months, we have stepped up our work with airports significantly to better understand the operational needs and requirements for hydrogen as a fuel,” said Arnab Chatterjee, vice president of infrastructure at ZeroAvia. “Working with the team at AGS allows us to plan for some of the commercial routes that we will be able to support in a little over two years’ time, and do so in the setting of a major international airport.”

ZeroAvia states these efforts will help AGS Airports reach zero carbon emissions by the middle of next decade, adding, “Given the reduced operating costs and lower noise profile offered by hydrogen-electric engines, operating more flights becomes attractive and can thus boost regional economic growth.”

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia and de Havilland Canada to Partner on Hydrogen-Electric Engine Program

The ZA 600

The ZA600 is a hydrogen-electric engine designed to power 9- to 19-seat aircraft up to 300 nm. Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers, with the only byproduct being water. The ZA600 will soon be flight tested for the first time in a 19-seat Dornier 228.

ZeroAvia’s infrastructure team is working with airports and other partners to deliver last-mile hydrogen delivery and refueling infrastructure to support airline operators, supported either by upstream fuel supplier partnerships or building of distributed production infrastructure.

The post ZeroAvia, AGS Airports Enter Hydrogen Fuel Partnership appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hydrogen-electric powertrains are powered by hydrogen fuel cells that produce electricity without combustion or emissions, similar to conventional batteries. However, unlike car batteries, they don’t run down or need to be recharged as long as they’re fed hydrogen and oxygen.

The acquisition, announced Thursday, paves the way for ZeroAvia to incorporate HyPoint’s high-temperature fuel cell technology into its powertrain, which it calls “a promising avenue for increasing power output and energy density of aviation fuel cell powertrains.” 

In recent years, the two companies have collaborated in co-developing and testing [High TemperatureEnergy Proton Exchange Membrane] HT-PEM fuel cell technology. ZeroAvia did not disclose the financial terms of the acquisition. 

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia to Retrofit CRJ Series Regional Jets with Hydrogen-Electric Powertrains

“This acquisition, together with our long-standing partnership with the leading LT-PEM (low-temperature PEM) fuel cell maker PowerCell, puts us in the top position for delivering the most environmentally and economically attractive solution to aviation’s growing climate impact,” ZeroAvia CEO and founder Val Miftakhov said in a statement Thursday.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia Enters Partnership with ZEV Station to Create Hydrogen Infrastructure

The announcement is the latest in a string of advancements for ZeroAvia’s development of hydrogen-powered flight. 

In late May, ZeroAvia announced an expanded agreement with Mitsubishi’s (OTC US: MHVYF) Canada-based MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ) aimed at retrofitting CRJ series jets with zero-emissions powertrains. As part of the collaboration, MHIRJ will provide engineering services, data, and certification support relevant to the CRJ700, enabling ZeroAvia to optimize its hydrogen-electric powertrain to retrofit the airframe. 

This past spring, the hydrogen-electric aircraft powertrain developer also entered a partnership with ZEV Station, a hydrogen fueling company, to develop hydrogen refueling infrastructure for airports in California. Under that partnership, the companies will work together initially on a regional airport project aimed at demonstrating how hydrogen-electric propulsion systems can work successfully in commercial aircraft.

“There is enormous potential for airports to act as hydrogen hubs precisely because there will be significant demand,” Arnab Chatterjee, vice president of infrastructure at ZeroAvia said at the time.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia and de Havilland Canada to Partner on Hydrogen-Electric Engine Program

Thom Patterson contributed.

The post ZeroAvia Acquires Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Developer HyPoint appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

ZeroAvia will obtain a supplemental type certificate (STC) to retrofit the Grand Caravan with its ZA600 zero-emission powertrain. This would allow the company to target commercial passenger and cargo operators to adopt its powerplant solution, which it says will be more environmentally friendly and quieter than conventional propeller-driven aircraft.

Val Miftakhov, the founder and CEO of the UK and U.S.-based company, expressed enthusiasm for this expanded partnership with Textron Aviation, providing a platform for his company to test and launch its products.

“The famous Cessna Grand Caravan is on track to be one of the first airframes operating commercial services—both cargo and passenger—with hydrogen-electric, zero-emission engines,” Miftakhov said. “We applaud the visionary leadership of Textron Aviation in joining us to help transform a much-loved mainstay of sub-regional aviation into a symbol of a sustainable transformation in aviation.”

Expanding Partnership Network

This partnership with Textron Aviation joins the network of other aircraft OEMs and operators that have committed to using ZeroAvia’s powertrain technology for future purposes. The company plans to build the ZA600 hydrogen-electric powerplant that targets 9- to 19-seat aircraft operating over a 300-nm mission by 2025. After that, it wants to launch a higher-powered engine, the ZA2000. 

A pair of the ZA2000s will allow a 40- to 80-seat aircraft to fly cargo and passengers up to 700-nm and be operational by 2027, the company said.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia to Retrofit CRJ Series Regional Jets with Hydrogen-Electric Powertrains

So far, ZeroAvia has partnered with Dornier to retrofit a 19-seat Do 228 with its powerplant. That is taking place at the ZeroAvia R&D location at the Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in the UK, and the company said in its statement that it hopes to make test flights in a matter of weeks.

Every Expert Isn’t Sold on Hydrogen–Yet 

Though some energy stakeholders question the viability of hydrogen-electric powertrains to significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to alternatives like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), ZeroAvia says its project is a “practical, holistic, and economically attractive solution to aviation’s growing climate change impact.” The engines use fuel cells to generate electricity, which powers electric motors to turn the propeller(s). ZeroAvia says hydrogen-electric systems produce only water vapor as a by-product at temperatures that enable the management of contrails.

• READ MORE: How Green Is Hydrogen Fuel?

In order to reduce emissions to meet an industry-touted 2050 net-zero goal, SAF would be needed to cut up to 65 percent of emissions, International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a study released last October. Electric and hydrogen solutions would only contribute 13 percent to the desired reduction, the report said. However, it is essential to note that according to the International Energy Agency, at present, operators globally use less than 0.1 percent of SAF, because it remains in short supply. Therefore, if ZeroAvia can meet its deadline—though it supposedly has a smaller market share—its solution could be more immediate. 

The post ZeroAvia and Textron to Build Hydrogen-Electric Engine for Cessna Grand Caravan appeared first on FLYING Magazine.