New Energies, new possibilities

ZeroAvia’s electric powertrain using a hydrogen fuel cell to generate electricity took giant steps forward this week with a series of investment and collaboration announcements.

Announcement 1 was partnering with British Airways which “will see ZeroAvia embedded in the heart of the airline,” said BA. “The team will work remotely alongside mentors and experts to explore the transformational possibilities of moving from fossil fuels to zero-emission hydrogen to power the airline’s future fleet.

Announcement 2 was ZeroAvia securing £12.3m in funding from the UK government through the ATI Programme to deliver a 19-seat hydrogen-electric powered aircraft that is market-ready by 2023 – the HyFlyer II project.

Announcement 3 was £16m in Series A venture funding. led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Ecosystem Integrity Fund, with follow-on investors Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Horizons Ventures, Shell Ventures and Summa Equity.

ZeroAvia proved its technology with a flight in a hydrogen fuel cell electric Piper Malibu at Cranfield in September. Photos: ZeroAvia

The HyFlyer II 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain will be made for aircraft such as the Cessna 208 Caravan and the Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter which are used in regional aviation and cargo transport worldwide.

Val Miftakhov, CEO, ZeroAvia, said, “We are delighted with the ATI’s decision to back our 19-seat powertrain development programme. This project is instrumental for delivering a market-ready hydrogen powered solution for 2023 that makes passenger-ready zero carbon aviation a reality.”

For the HyFlyer II project, ZeroAvia is working with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) to deliver the green hydrogen fuelling systems required to power the aircraft for flight tests, including through mobile fuelling platforms suited to airport environments.

ZeroAvia will also for the first time partner with Aeristech, a leading developer of power dense and efficient air compressor solutions. Adding Aeristech to the list of collaborators for HyFlyer II allows ZeroAvia to utilise the company’s advanced air compressor system as part of the new 19-seat powertrain.

UK govt Energy Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, said, “Next year, as the UK assumes the Chair of the G7 nations and hosts COP26, we have an exciting opportunity to lead through example on climate change as we power towards net zero with our new ambitious plan to put the UK at the forefront of the green industrial revolution and a green jobs boom.”

The announcements follow ZeroAvia’s world first flight of a commercial-grade hydrogen-electric aircraft at Cranfield in September, utilising a smaller version of ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel cell powertrain in a 6-seat Piper Malibu M350, known as HyFlyer I.

With pure battery powered aircraft still short on endurance, hydrogen fuel cell technology is gaining traction. And in the U.K. this week, ZeroAvia flew the first commercially viable aircraft—a Piper M-class airframe—on a combination of batteries and fuel cells. The flight took place at the company’s R&D headquarters at Cranfield, northwest of London.

The flight was part of the U.K.’s HyFlyer R&D project that’s aimed at creating reduced-carbon aviation powerplants. ZeroAvia has previously flown the same M-class on pure battery power, but this week’s demonstration marked the first time hydrogen fuel cells have been added to the power mix. The flight was a short one, but ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov said that by the end of the year, the company will demonstrate a 300-mile flight at about 200 knots.

With support from the U.K. government—about $3.5 million (£2.75 million)—ZeroAvia’s short-term goal is to prove the technology is suitable for short revenue flights in aircraft like the M-class, but it will eventually be suitable for a 20-seat regional airliner such as the Twin Otter, Dornier 228 or the Cessna Sky Courier, now undergoing certification in Wichita. Such fuel cell powerplants would be in the range of 800 horsepower and would be comparable to Pratt & Whitney’s ubiquitous PT6 turbine.

Aware that the hydrogen infrastructure is critical to the concept, ZeroAvia is addressing that at Cranfield with its own hydrogen production station. It uses solar energy to drive electrolytic converters to produce gaseous hydrogen for use in the cold fuel cells ZeroAvia is using. This week’s demonstration flight used some battery power, but not as a power buffer. Miftakhov said at a press conference on Friday that it is possible to fly solely on hydrogen.

Zero Avia’s goal is develop reliable and scalable hydrogen powerplants that airframers can use in place of fossil fuel engines. “We believe that there are a lot of aircraft manufacturers that know what they’re doing. What’s needed in the industry is to build powerplants that can use clean fuel. And that’s what we’re focusing on,” he said.

ZeroAvia started as a U.S. company but moved to the U.K. this year because of a more favorable investment climate and serious government interest in low-carbon energy sources.

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