Hydrogen propulsion developer ZeroAvia has secured additional investment funding from American Airlines and new backing from Japanese industrialist ITOCHU Corporation, as it progresses plans to certificate its entry-level hydrogen-electric powertrains in 2025. American upped its stake in ZeroAvia just days after the failure of rival company Universal Hydrogen, in which the airline was also a headline investor, and announced a “conditional” agreement to buy 100 ZeroAvia powertrains to convert regional jets to cleaner power. ITOCHU has signed a wide-ranging agreement in which it will support the company’s expansion across Asia. Universal’s demise has cemented ZeroAvia’s position as the biggest emergent supplier of hydrogen-electric powertrains to replace fossil-fuelled engines on turboprop planes and regional jets, and later to power new narrowbody aircraft.

American’s agreement to strengthen its ZeroAvia partnership coincided with the airline’s release of its latest sustainability report, in which CEO Robert Isom warned that decarbonisation “is not happening at the pace we need.”

“Game-changing technologies like hydrogen, which American is also helping to advance, are expected to be important elements of the long-term solution for decarbonising aviation,” said Isom. “But to get from here to there, we need manufacturers to invest in the incremental but meaningful advances in airframe and engine technologies that can come online with the next generation of aircraft.”

ZeroAvia, which is jointly based in the UK and USA, is developing a family of hydrogen-electric engines, and is currently using a pair of Dornier 228 turboprop testbeds to reach certification next year of its ZA600 powertrain for 9-19 seat aircraft, offering a 300-mile flight range. It is also actively progressing its larger ZA2000 powertrain to provide cleaner propulsion and up to 700 miles of range for aircraft of 40-80 seats, targeting a 2027 launch.

American Airlines announced an initial investment in ZeroAvia in August 2022, two months before it also revealed a strategic equity investment in Universal Hydrogen. It did not disclose the value or terms of either deal, or for its newly increased stake in ZeroAvia, which it said was part of that company’s Series C financing round.

Nor has American detailed the caveats attached to its conditional purchase agreement for 100 ZeroAvia powertrains, which could replace the fossil-fuelled engines on regional jets including Bombardier CRJ700s operated by the airline on a range of regional routes. An engine deal was first flagged by American in 2022, when announcing it had “the opportunity” to order up to 100 engines from ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrain development programme. 

American said its increased investment in ZeroAvia and intention to buy hydrogen-electric powertrains formed part of a much broader strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Its plan includes extensive fleet renewal and investments in sustainable aviation fuel from suppliers including Infinium, an emerging producer of e-fuels. American was also the first customer for Graphyte, a US carbon removal and storage startup backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures.       

ZeroAvia’s founder and CEO, Val Miftakhov, said his company’s hydrogen-electric powertrains would emit only low temperature water vapour, while low intensity electrical systems would potentially deliver significant cost efficiencies.

“In signing this purchase agreement and furthering its investment, American is supporting our mission of innovation for clean aircraft propulsion,” said Miftakhov, describing the airline’s increased backing as “a good signal that ZeroAvia is delivering on our technology roadmap. The solutions that can serve the largest airlines are within reach, and the clean future of flight is coming.”

ZeroAvia claims almost 2,000 pre-orders for its engines from multiple major airlines, with “future revenue potential” exceeding $10 billion.

The additional partnership announcement with ITOCHU Corporation further strengthens ZeroAvia following American’s increased interest and the failure of Universal, while also ensuring increased focus on ZeroAvia at the forthcoming Farnborough International Airshow.

 While ITOCHU did not detail the scale of its new investment, it announced its appointment as ZeroAvia’s sales representative for Asia and had additionally signed a MoU for wide-ranging collaboration across the region in areas including maintenance, airport infrastructure and hydrogen infrastructure.

“It is expected that there will be approximately 44,000 commercial aircraft in 2042, 1.6 times the number in 2023,” said ITOCHU. “With IATA and ICAO announcing their goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the decarbonisation of the aviation industry is an international challenge. To solve the issue, new technologies in addition to SAF, such as hydrogen aircraft, are necessary.”  

ZeroAvia also revealed it has developed “revolutionary” AI-driven, scalable smart microgrid optimisation software that aims to minimise the cost of green hydrogen production for clean aviation and other applications. Testing in California of its Smart Hydrogen AI Production Software (SHAIPS) has shown in excess of a 20% reduction of the levelized cost of hydrogen compared to an electrolyser generating hydrogen based on the average electricity wholesale price, reports the company. In the US, the Department of Energy is targeting $1 per kg of hydrogen by 2030, while the Inflation Reduction Act established up to $3 per kg as part of a production tax credit.

American’s 2023 Sustainability Report was released by the airline on the same day it announced its increased commitments to ZeroAvia, and pointedly referred to the sector’s limited progress in reducing aviation’s harmful emissions.

“We are taking concrete steps within our operations and pulling all the levers we can to drive progress,” said American’s CEO in his introduction to the report. “But the reality is the action we can take within our own operations – or the scale of investment we can absorb in our low-margin business – will never be sufficient on its own.

“Aviation is widely recognised as one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. Getting there is going to require action and investment across the public and private sectors, and quite frankly, that’s not happening at the pace or scale we need.

“Sustainable aviation fuel is a perfect example. American has a goal to use 10% SAF in 2030. In 2023 we used 2.7 million gallons of SAF – the most we’ve used in a single year – but it was still less than 1%. That wasn’t for lack of trying. We’ve signed commitments with multiple SAF producers, at a premium, to try to secure supply and, in the case of Infinium, to help attract capital to bring new, lower-carbon SAF technology to market sooner. But the volume of SAF available today and likely to be ready over the next several years is a tiny fraction of what’s needed.

“It’s a risk for me to come out and say that American’s ability to achieve our 2030, 2035 and 2050 climate goals is in jeopardy. But in my mind, the bigger risk is failing to sound the alarm that there’s an urgent need for more and faster action across the public and private sectors.”

Image: ZeroAvia

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

Add your content…

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Email

Universal Hydrogen, a high-profile startup developing zero emission aircraft propulsion systems, has collapsed, despite multiple big-name investors. The California-based company was developing a novel modular fuelling system through which canisters of hydrogen would be delivered to airports and loaded directly onto the aircraft they would power, negating the need for fixed fuelling infrastructure. But late last week the company’s President, Mark Cousin, wrote to shareholders to advise that due to insufficient funding, the company would be shut down. “While we have been pursuing new capital for some time and evaluating various strategic options, we have been unsuccessful in closing any new investment,” he said. “Therefore our board has made this decision.”

An industry executive familiar with Universal Hydrogen said the company had been too ambitious in developing both hydrogen supply and zero emission propulsion systems when its main competitor, ZeroAvia, was focused purely on making hydrogen-electric powertrains to replace fossil-fuelled engines in existing aircraft. The executive said Universal should have concentrated on just one of those objectives to accelerate certification but predicted the company’s technology could still be acquired and refined by other zero-emission aviation aspirants.

The Universal Hydrogen business plan was built on the premise that there was insufficient hydrogen refuelling infrastructure at airports and existing technology was too slow to efficiently fuel aircraft. The company promoted itself as a plug-and-play solution that did not rely on airports providing hydrogen fuelling infrastructure and was targeting 2026 for its product’s entry into service. It raised around $100 million in funding from big-name partners including Airbus Ventures, American Airlines, JetBlue Ventures, GE Aviation and Toyota Ventures, but still needed more to progress certification. It never came.

The company had said its mission was “… building a flexible, scalable and capital-light approach to hydrogen logistics by transporting it in modular capsules over the existing freight network from green production sites to airports around the world.” It was also developing and testing conversion kits to retrofit existing regional aircraft with hydrogen fuel cell powertrains.

In addition to retrofitting turboprop aircraft with zero emission propulsion systems and reconfiguring them to carry hydrogen fuel pods, Universal Hydrogen said orders for its conversion kits would also include an agreement to supply hydrogen fuel services for the aircraft. 

Co-founder Paul Eremenko, a former chief technology officer of both Airbus and United Technologies Corporation and a member of the board of Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility, left the company in April.

Members of the Universal Hydrogen strategic advisory board include Tom Enders, a former Airbus CEO and current board member of Lufthansa, Linde and German air taxi developer Lilium; Patrick de Castelbajac, whose previous roles include chief strategist for Airbus, CEO of ATR and CEO of the world’s biggest regional aircraft lessor, Nordic Aviation Capital; Roei Ganzarski, a former CEO of the electric powertrain manufacturer MagniX and executive chairman of Eviation Electric Aircraft; Dr Lourdes Maurice, a former US representative on the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection and FAA Chief Scientist for Environment and Energy; and Carl Burleson, a former deputy administrator of the FAA.

Universal’s Mark Cousin was previously SVP Flight Demonstrators for Airbus and technical director of the Beluga XL freighter programme.

Last year, the company performed what it claimed was the world’s first flight by a large turboprop plane powered by hydrogen fuel cells, a converted Dash 8-300 commuter aircraft which it named Lightning McClean. The company was targeting eventual conversion of the competing European regional airliner, the ATR 72, once the novel containerised hydrogen system received regulatory approval.

But there have been growing doubts about the viability of the Universal Hydrogen business model, as the speed of hydrogen fuelling technologies continues to improve and as airports increasingly look to produce green hydrogen on site or nearby.

As well, the complexity and likely cost of the Universal Hydrogen conversions was coming under scrutiny, as the carriage of hydrogen canisters required a large new compartment in the rear of the aircraft and the addition of a wide cargo door to enable loading and unloading of canisters – a major structural rearrangement not dissimilar to the conversion of former passenger jets into freighters.

Industry insiders said this would not just be an expensive engineering process but also would most likely increase the certification cost and timeline. Reconfiguration would also reduce the number of passenger seats on each aircraft, impacting their expected economics.

There are also increasing concerns across the industry about the high number of sustainable aviation concepts competing for limited investor funds, and growing fears about the future of sustainable aviation incentive programmes and policies in the US. A potential return to power by climate-sceptic Donald Trump in November has led to speculation that current federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act to support aviation decarbonisation might be curtailed or even axed.

“Universal Hydrogen needed to be restructured around a new, more viable business model,” said an industry insider familiar with the company’s crisis. “While the technology is sound, the business model is flawed. The company was trying to be too many things – both an aircraft conversion company and a hydrogen company.

“Whereas ZeroAvia will make money on conversions, Universal Hydrogen was going to make the majority of its money on future hydrogen sales, something that investors highly discounted, versus making money on converting the base of around 1,000 ATRs flying today that could be converted.”

However, the official added: “Given how advanced the technology is, it is highly likely that the assets of Universal will be acquired and the conversion process continued to certification, perhaps even streamlined with now the prospect of fixed hydrogen tanks that should speed up the certification process.” 

Jon Gordon, a co-founder of Universal Hydrogen and formerly its General Counsel and Head of Strategic Partnerships and Government Affairs, departed the company several weeks ago to commence a new role as Chief Commercial Officer and General Counsel at Ecolectro, an emerging producer of green hydrogen.

But in a personal post on LinkedIn, he said: “Despite everyone’s best efforts, UH2 proved unable to secure additional funding to move forward. Perhaps we were just too early. Perhaps we couldn’t convince the world that hydrogen, and not just SAF, are necessary for the future of aviation. Time will tell.

“Nonetheless, I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved, and grateful to the hundreds of engineers and investors that supported our efforts. It was nothing short of heroic. We demonstrated the feasibility of hydrogen aviation at a commercially significant scale with 13 successful flights. We obtained Phase 1 certification from the FAA and garnered interest from 17 airlines across 12 countries. We did this together.

“Now it’s up to ZeroAvia and Val Miftakhov (its founder and CEO), Airbus and Glenn Llewellyn (VP Zero Emission Aircraft at Airbus) to bring hydrogen aviation to fruition. You can bet I am cheering them on. Our future may depend on it.”

Photo: Universal Hydrogen

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

Add your content…

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Email

Latvian national airline airBaltic has partnered with Netherlands-based Fokker Next Gen to help develop a new liquid hydrogen powered commercial aircraft, to be manufactured at sites in both countries. The companies have signed a MoU through which the manufacturer will gain insights from the airline to help develop the new plane, while airBaltic will explore how hydrogen-powered aircraft could be used in its network, which currently covers 47 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus region. Fokker Next Gen is planning to build a twin-engine hydrogen aircraft for entry into service by 2035, the same timeline as the Airbus ZEROe hydrogen aircraft programme. The Dutch company is targeting 2028 for the first flight of a Fokker 100 twinjet converted into a hydrogen testbed aircraft. At least three other Dutch companies – Maeve Aerospace, Elysian Aircraft and Electron Aerospace – are also developing low-or-no emission aircraft.

The Fokker Next Gen jet is being designed to carry 120-150 passengers over 2,500 kilometres, powered by both liquid hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel, enabling operation on either fuel depending on availability at destinations.

While configuration studies for the new aircraft will be undertaken this year, with conceptual design modifications for the Fokker 100 testbed due to be completed by year end, early concept drawings promoted by the company show a high-wing narrowbody aircraft with two large wing-mounted jet engines, and hydrogen fuel tanks located in the rear one-third of the fuselage.

Juriaan Kellermann, CEO of Fokker Next Gen, said the partnership with state-owned airBaltic was crucial in the development of an all-new, zero-emission airliner. “Our joint effort not only propels forward innovative aircraft design, informed by direct user feedback, but also boosts the Dutch and Latvian economies,” he said. “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to pioneering the future of aviation.”

The partnership with the airline flows from the signing late last year of an MoU between Fokker Next Gen and the Latvian Ministry of Economics to develop a hydrogen centre of excellence, a parallel MoU with the Liepaja Special Economic Zone to develop an assembly and testing facility at Liepaja International Airport, and a cooperation partnership with Latvia’s Riga Technical University to collaborate on education, research and innovation.  

The manufacturer is also one of 15 energy and aerospace entities to sign a letter of intent to participate in development of hydrogen infrastructure at Groningen Airport Eelde in the Netherlands, and last year became a member of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, part-funded by the EU.

The airline, which currently operates a single-type fleet of 47 Airbus A220-300 jets, is targeting carbon neutrality by 2050 and considers the Fokker Next Gen partnership a key part of its strategy. CEO Martin Gauss said the agreement also reflected the need for collaboration in developing new technologies for the aviation sector and welcomed “such innovative developments being worked on in the Baltic region.”

“We are excited to sign this MoU and collaborate with Fokker Next Gen by sharing our insights and expertise in their work to develop a hydrogen-powered aircraft,” he said. “We see this as an important step for the future of aviation.”

The new aircraft programme revives Fokker as an active airframe manufacturer almost 30 years after the storied company ceased trading in 1996. The original Fokker aircraft company was established in Germany in 1912 by Dutch aviator Anthony Fokker, before moving to the Netherlands in 1919, commencing the construction of civil airliners in 1920, and later military aircraft. In 1955, it resumed making airliners, commencing with the turboprop Fokker F27 ‘Friendship,’ its successor, the F50, and three twin-engine regional jets, the F28 ‘Fellowship’, the larger Fokker 100, and the F70, an upgraded version of the F28.

The selection of a preferred hydrogen aircraft-and-engine combination is scheduled for 2026, with the concept design of the new hydrogen-powered aircraft to be completed in 2027. 

Test flights of the F100 hydrogen testbed aircraft are scheduled to commence in 2028, as part of the Aviation in Transition programme co-funded by the Dutch National Growth Fund, through which Fokker Next Gen has received a subsidy of €25 million ($27m). From 2030, production of parts for the all-new aircraft is due to commence, with assembly of the hydrogen-powered prototype to begin in 2032 and the first fight in 2033. Entry into service is expected in 2035, the same year Airbus plans to launch its own hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Airbus will use a converted A380 super-jumbo as a testbed for hydrogen propulsion systems and has partnered with airlines and airports around the world to research and develop ground operations for hydrogen aircraft. Under its ZEROe programme, the airframer currently has four concept models under consideration – two 200-passenger, 2,000 nautical mile designs and two 100-passenger, 1,000 nautical mile models.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, at least three other start-up programmes are also underway for new commercial aircraft.

Electron Aircraft is developing the twin motor, battery-electric Electron 5 to fly up to five passengers more than 500km, or 500kg of cargo up to 750km, from 2028. A round-world test flight is planned for 2027. Maeve Aerospace is developing the 80-passenger M80 aircraft, a hybrid-electric twin-engine commuter plane with range of 1,482km, for entry into service in 2031, while Elysian Aircraft is planning the 90-passenger E9X, an eight-motor, battery-electric model, with 800 kilometres of range, for 2033 entry into service.

Images: (top) The Fokker Next Gen concept aircraft, (bottom) showing the hydrogen fuel tanks in the rear of the fuselage

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

Add your content…

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Email

Scandinavian Seaplanes, a charter and tourism operator based in Bergen, Norway, will convert its fleet of six Cessna floatplanes to battery-electric powertrains supplied by Dovetail Electric Aviation, an emerging Australian-Spanish joint venture with which it has signed a strategic partnership agreement. The first of the Scandinavian Cessnas are expected to be converted from 2026 once Dovetail secures regulatory certification of its battery-electric powertrain, which will be test flown next year on an amphibious Cessna Caravan operated by Australia’s Sydney Seaplanes, a co-founder of Dovetail. The announcement closely follows an investment in Dovetail by the Australian state of Victoria, where the company is separately developing a hydrogen-electric propulsion system with greater flight range than the initial battery-electric powertrain. It plans to test-fly its first hydrogen-electric plane, a converted Beechcraft King Air, in 2026.   

The commitment by Scandinavian Seaplanes, Norway’s only operator of amphibious aircraft, comes well in advance of a Norwegian government mandate requiring all short-haul flights to be electrically powered by 2040. The company says the conversions will make it Europe’s first operator of electric seaplanes.

The airline currently operates four Cessna 206 and two Cessna 180 floatplanes and is planning to add another Cessna 206H, potentially before the end of this year. It is also looking to introduce a larger Cessna Caravan for its Bergen operations, and a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200 for airport-based flights from next year, when it plans to expand its activities to include scheduled flights.

The agreement with Scandinavian Seaplanes takes to more than 70 the number of firm orders and options for Dovetail’s battery-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion conversion kits to customers including three seaplane operators. Dovetail’s biggest customer is UK-based regional aircraft lessor MONTE with 25 firm orders for zero-emission Dovetail powertrains, and options for up to 25 more.

The announcement of the Scandinavian Seaplanes agreement closely followed an investment in Dovetail of an undisclosed amount from the government of the southern Australian state of Victoria, to which the aerospace manufacturer recently transferred from, Sydney. 

Under the funding deal, details of which were not disclosed, Invest Victoria, the state government’s main investment attraction and promotion agency is offering non-dilutive financial support to Dovetail to help advance local development of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector.

In return for government support, Dovetail has relocated its administrative centre from Sydney to the Victorian capital, Melbourne, and its hydrogen-electric test facility to the Latrobe Regional Airport south-east of Melbourne, a region which itself is being transformed from a former coal mining district. A major mine, once the hub of the region’s industry, was closed in 2017, and Australia’s largest brown coal-fired power station, still located in the region, will be decommissioned in 2035.

While progressing towards test-flying its battery-electric prototype in Sydney, Dovetail is using the new Victorian facility to evolve prototypes of its hydrogen-electric powertrain, which will be test-flown in Victoria in 2027 using a Beechcraft King Air aircraft. One of the plane’s two engines will be replaced with a hydrogen-electric powerplant, which the company will introduce to deliver significantly greater flying range or revenue payload than the initial battery-electric system.

“We are really pleased to support Dovetail Electric Aviation’s new centre in the Latrobe Valley, which will deliver world-leading innovations for the aviation sector, create new jobs in regional Victoria and contribute to the state’s net-zero emissions goal,” said Harriet Shing MP, State Parliamentary representative for Eastern Victoria.

Dovetail’s CEO, David Doral, welcomed the support from the Victorian government which, coupled with other investments, was helping quicken the company’s development of zero emission aircraft propulsion.

“This investment will enable us to accelerate our research and development efforts, bringing us closer to our vision of a sustainable, efficient, and accessible aviation future,” he said.

Meanwhile, as well as backing Dovetail, MONTE  has announced a strategic partnership with Natilus, a US aerospace company developing a next-generation blended-wing-body regional cargo aircraft that it claims will offer an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions through its more aerodynamically efficient structure, and reduce operating costs by more than half. MONTE will provide leasing and financing options for the Natilus Kona aircraft, which the San Diego-based company says will be its first commercially available aircraft.

“This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our mission to revolutionise the cargo transport industry with innovative, environmentally-friendly solutions,” said Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus.

The company says the blended-wing-body design is ideally suited for hydrogen-electric propulsion as hydrogen is volume centric and so suitable for carrying hydrogen tanks without impacting payload or range.

“The Kona is a unique aircraft that has been developed specifically to optimise air cargo operations,” said MONTE COO Timothy Eyre. “The opportunity to integrate hydrogen electric propulsion systems into the aircraft is strongly aligned with our strategy to decarbonise regional aviation.”

Top photo: Scandinavian Seaplanes

Bottom image: The Natilus Kona blended-wing-body regional cargo aircraft

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

Add your content…

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Email

Aciturri, a major European aerostructures and engine components producer, has become the latest investor in Dovetail Electric Aviation, an emerging Australian developer of both battery-electric and hydrogen-electric propulsion systems for regional airliners. Aciturri is a significant supplier to major aerospace companies including Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Deutsche Aircraft, Safran, Rolls-Royce, Daher and air taxi manufacturer Lilium. As lead investor in Dovetail’s seed investment round, tranche 2, it elevates the Australian company’s international profile and manufacturing capabilities, ahead of the planned first flight early next year of a battery-electric Cessna Caravan seaplane, as it targets 2026 certification. Dovetail also plans to convert a Beechcraft King Air commuter plane to hydrogen-electric propulsion during 2025.

Dovetail, a partnership between Spanish aerospace company Dante and tourist airline Sydney Seaplanes, said Aciturri would become both a key industrial partner and lead investor, but did not disclose the scale or timing of the investment.

Dovetail is seeking $7 million to progress its zero-emission propulsion systems, having already secured investments from companies including Australian airline operator Regional Express (Rex), Spanish carriers Volotea and Air Nostrum, and Australia-based climate solution accelerator EnergyLab in its first round of seed funding. Aciturri is leading the second round of funding, which will close shortly, with Dovetail expecting additional backing from at least one institutional venture capital fund.

“Aciturri’s involvement brings not only financial support but also significant capabilities that will greatly enhance our technology roadmap and accelerate our path to market,” said Dovetail CEO David Doral. “Their track record and expertise in high technology aerostructures and engine parts will add immense value to our operations, helping us bring our innovative solutions to market faster and more efficiently.” 

The testbed Cessna Caravan due to fly electrically next year will be from the fleet of partner company Sydney Seaplanes, while the King Air for hydrogen-electric trials will come from the fleet of Rex sibling Pel-Air. Based on this trial, Rex also plans to retrofit a hydrogen-electric powertrain into one of the 52 Saab 340 commuter planes it operates on regional routes throughout Australia.

Rex operates the world’s largest fleet of the type, for which there is currently no equivalent-size replacement, and has signalled that, once certified, the hydrogen-electric powertrain could be retrofitted onto more of its Saabs.

Aciturri operates two business streams from multiple facilities in Spain, Portugal, France, Morocco and Brazil, employing 2,900 people in the design, manufacture and assembly of key aerostructures including wings, fuselages, empennage and fairings, and the production of engine components including primary structures, casings and rings, and high precision machining.   

“This partnership represents a significant opportunity to drive innovation in the aviation industry and broaden our contribution to a more sustainable future,” said Alvaro Fernandez Baragaño, CEO of Aciturri Aeroengines and the group’s chief diversification officer.

Dovetail has already secured orders and options valued at more than $160 million for its zero emission conversion kits from customers including UK-based MONTE Aircraft Leasing, which specialises in fleets to serve sub-regional markets and focused on financing and leasing solutions for zero and low emissions technology. It has announced its intention to buy up to 50 powertrains from Dovetail, a mix of battery-electric models to power new or retrofitted Cessna Caravans and hydrogen-electric conversion kits for Beechcraft King Air models.

MONTE will become the preferred financing provider for aircraft converted to Dovetail’s propulsion systems.

In a separate Australian partnership, MONTE has partnered with UK-based Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAes) and Cairns-based operator Torres Strait Air to convert up to 10 Britten-Norman Islander aircraft to hydrogen-electric propulsion for services between Horn Island and 20 short-haul destinations, many of them indigenous communities in the nation’s remote far north.

The airline, which had previously signed a letter of intent to acquire 10 new conventionally-powered Britten-Norman Islander aircraft, will source financing from MONTE to convert the planes zero emission propulsion. The lessor previously committed to acquire 40 conversion kits from CAeS to modify Islander aircraft.

Photo: Sydney Seaplanes Cessna Caravan in Dovetail livery

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

Add your content…

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Email

A European aviation industry coalition has welcomed the inclusion of sustainable aviation fuel as a ‘strategic net zero technology’ under the EU Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which has received provisional agreement between the European Parliament and Council. The Act is a central part of the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan, which aims to follow the example of the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act in stimulating domestic manufacturing capacity in clean energy technologies, with the intention of reaching at least 40% of expected EU demand by 2030. The European Commission says the Act will create the regulatory conditions necessary to attract and support investment, and help build more production facilities in a faster manner. The Commission has also recommended an EU-wide 90% net GHG emissions reduction target by 2040 compared to 1990 levels and put forward a series of measures to achieve it, including through the use of SAF. The industry alliance said while the inclusion of SAF in the NZIA would pave the way for the development of a strong EU SAF market, further policy action was needed to meet the updated 2040 climate ambitions.

The NZIA will enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the European cleantech industry and support the creation of green, quality jobs as the EU seeks to reach climate neutrality by 2050, claims the Commission. The regulation identifies a broad set of net zero technologies that can be supported through strategic projects such as solar photovoltaic, onshore and offshore wind, fuel cells, electrolysers, batteries, grid technologies and sustainable alternative transport fuels, including SAF.

“The NZIA political agreement is a significant stride towards realising our ambitious climate and economic objectives,” said the Commission’s President, Ursula von der Leyen. “It demonstrates our collective commitment to build a more sustainable, resilient and competitive industrial sector in Europe. Together, we are making the EU a global frontrunner in the clean energy transition.”

The Act aims to create a simplified and enabling regulatory environment that will reduce the administrative burden for cleantech manufacturing, accelerate CO2 capture and storage in the EU, facilitate market access for net zero products and support the development of net zero skills and innovation. It also foresees the creation of a ‘Net-Zero Europe Platform’ to serve as central coordination hub, fostering information and exchange to facilitate the implementation and supporting investment of initiatives throughout the EU.

Renewable hydrogen is seen as one of the key technologies of the NZIA and indispensable in reaching the EU’s 2030 climate targets and 2050 climate neutrality. “By scaling up its production, we will reduce the use of fossil fuels in European industries and serve the needs of hard-to-electrify sectors,” said the Commission. To this end, it is to set up the European Hydrogen Bank to support the uptake of renewable hydrogen within the EU, as well as imports from international partners, and unlock private investments in hydrogen value chains.

The EU has a legal target to reduce GHG emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and has adopted a ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package to accomplish this goal, including the ReFuelEU regulation on mandating SAF uptake at EU airports. The new recommendation for a 90% reduction by 2040 target will help European industry, investors, citizens and governments to make decisions in this decade that will keep the EU on track to meet its climate neutrality objective in 2050, says the Commission.

“It will send important signals on how to invest and plan effectively for the longer term, minimising the risk of stranded assets,” it said on announcing the target. “With this forward-planning, it is possible to shape a prosperous, competitive and fair society, to decarbonise EU industry and energy systems, and to ensure that Europe is a prime destination for investment, with stable future-proof jobs.

“The EU will continue to develop the right framework conditions to attract investment and production. A successful climate transition should go hand-in-hand with strengthened industrial competitiveness, especially in cleantech sectors. Public investment should be well targeted with the right mix of grants, loans, equity, guarantees, advisory services and other public support. Carbon pricing should continue to play an important role in incentivising investments in clean technologies and generating revenues to spend on climate action and social support for the transition.”

Achieving the target would require both emissions reductions and carbon removals, added the Commission, with the deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies, as well as the use of captured carbon in industry. Carbon capture should be targeted to hard-to-abate sectors where alternatives are less viable and carbon removals will also be needed to generate negative emissions after 2050.

Under the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, aviation fuel suppliers are obligated to ensure that all fuel made available to aircraft operators at EU airports incorporate 6% SAF in 2030, with 1.2% of fuels in 2030 being synthetic fuels. From 2040, the minimum share of SAF rises to 34%, of which a minimum share of 10% of synthetic fuels, reaching 70% and 35% respectively by 2050.

The 2040 recommendation will be followed by a legislative proposal made by the next Commission, after the European elections in June.

The inclusion of SAF in the NZIA is only the first step in developing a world-leading SAF industry in Europe, said the Destination 2050 cross-industry alliance of European airline, airport, civil aeronautics industry and air navigation service providers, which came together in 2021 to commission and then publish a decarbonisation roadmap for the European aviation sector.

“The Commission’s communication recommending the new 2040 target expressly recognises the need to address barriers to SAF deployment at scale, giving the aviation sector priority access to feedstocks and putting incentives in place to close the price gap between SAF and conventional kerosene. SAFs are a crucial component that will enable European aviation to accelerate its decarbonisation, in full alignment with the bloc’s ambitious climate agenda,” said a statement by the five members of the alliance – Airlines for Europe, ACI Europe, ASD, CANSO Europe and European Regions Airline Association.

“The international race to become a SAF leader has started and further policy incentives to scale up the production and uptake are required for Europe to become a leader in the global competition for SAF. These include the extension of the SAF flexibility mechanism beyond 2034; the extension of the current 20 million allowances threshold and 2030 time-limit under the SAF allowances mechanisms; and increased financial support for development of SAF, including through the Innovation Fund, as well as simplifying the administrative procedure for accessing these funds.”

Christopher Surgenor

Editor

• Linkedin

Swiss adventurer and climate activist Bertrand Piccard, who has circumnavigated the world in both a balloon and a solar powered plane, has announced plans for a third epic flight, this time aboard a purpose-built aircraft powered by green hydrogen. He will be joined in the 2028 project, Climate Impulse, by French engineer and fellow adventurer Raphaël Dinelli, who is supervising design and construction of the aircraft and will navigate the nine-day, non-stop journey around the equator. Concept drawings of the Climate Impulse aircraft depict a small central pod for the pilots, flanked by two large hydrogen tanks, all joined by a single, thin wing. Each tank has a front-mounted, three-blade propeller and a tail. Construction of the aircraft has commenced following two years of research, development and design backed by partners including science group Syensqo, aerospace companies Airbus, Daher and ArianeGroup, and technology and data company Capgemini. Testing will be conducted during the next two years.

Piccard argues that climate change can only be effectively addressed “through the lens of profitability and popular endorsement, instead of focusing on problems and costs.”

Through his Solar Impulse Foundation he promotes eco-friendly technologies and energy efficiency as business opportunities rather than expensive problems and uses his exploration expeditions to highlight sustainable growth and help spur governments and industries to take action on climate change.

The foundation has identified over 1,000 initiatives it describes as clean and profitable solutions that can be implemented on a large scale. It offers political and economic decision makers a guidebook “to help them establish a roadmap for the adoption of much more ambitious energy and environmental programmes and thus achieve their carbon neutrality objectives.”

Added Piccard: “More than flying around the world with a hydrogen airplane, Climate Impulse will explore new ways of thinking and acting to promote a better quality of life. In this world full of eco-anxiety, we need to restore hope and stimulate action by demonstrating disruptive solutions that lead to sustainable progress.

“Protection of the environment would become a reality only if it was perceived as economically viable and requiring no financial or behavioural sacrifices. Today, efficient solutions exist that can boost economic growth, while at the same time reducing our impact on the planet. Efficient solutions will unite people, from citizens and environmental activists to political and business leaders, shifting the narrative from sacrifice and fear to enthusiasm and action.”

Like Piccard, his Climate Impulse partner Dinelli is a climate advocate and adventurer, and has sailed around the world four times. He is also a composites engineer, pilot and specialist in renewable energies, who has previously developed and flown solar-electric test aircraft.

“The major technological challenge is to build an aircraft around two tanks of liquid hydrogen maintained at -253°C, powering electric motors via fuel cells,” explained Dinelli of the Climate Impulse project, which has strong aerospace and engineering backing.

Its major partner is Syensqo, a specialist in strong but lightweight composite materials for aircraft and engines, and a long-term collaborator with Piccard, having provided technological support for his Solar Impulse flight, performed in 2016. Syensqo was then part of Solvay, a chemicals and treatments company, from which it was spun off late last year.

Syenqo’s composite materials, films and additives will be key elements in the fuselage, wings and fuel tanks of Piccard and Dinelli’s new hydrogen aircraft, simultaneously reducing weight and maximising strength, while high-performance components for the hydrogen fuel cell will be designed to deliver “exceptionally high” power density and efficiency, while also allowing more compact design of the plane.

“This will require revolutionary innovations in the creation of adapted thermal tanks, opening new horizons in aviation technology,” added Piccard’s Foundation, which announced the latest enviro-flight. “The collaboration with Syensqo will enable Climate Impulse to develop these cutting-edge systems.”

Syensqo CEO Ilham Kadri welcomed participation in the project, saying: “We are thrilled to be part of this ultimate flight, a nonstop, zero emission, around the world (journey) fuelled by green hydrogen.”

Airbus, also a key partner in the Climate Impulse project, is a prominent proponent of and active campaigner for hydrogen-powered flight and plans to introduce a clean-sheet hydrogen aircraft into commercial service by 2035 as part of its ZEROe programme.

The aerospace manufacturer is developing an Airbus A380 as a dedicated test platform for hydrogen propulsion and has been working closely with airports and airlines to understand what infrastructure is needed to provide hydrogen refuelling of aircraft. It announced its latest initiative just last month, a collaboration with aviation and energy sector partners to explore infrastructure requirements for hydrogen-powered flights from airports in Sweden and Norway.

A third partner in the Climate Impulse project, European aircraft manufacturer Daher, is also actively progressing zero-emission propulsion and late last year, in partnership with Airbus and Safran, performed the inaugural flight of its EcoPulse hybrid-electric demonstrator aircraft, testing the performance of high energy density batteries and flight systems.

Top image: Solar Impulse Foundation

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

Add your content…

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Email

Canadian electro sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) producer SAF+ International Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with French green and renewable hydrogen producer Lhyfe to develop the production of e-SAF at a site located in the port region of Le Havre in northern France. Under the cooperation agreement Lhyfe would build a green hydrogen production site that would supply more than 100 tonnes per day (300 MW of installed electrolysis capacity) to an e-SAF production site that SAF+ is planning to build. Last October, SAF+ announced a similar initiative with another French green hydrogen producer H2V that aims to produce 80,000 tonnes of e-SAF annually by 2030 at a site in the Marseille Fos industrial seaport area in southern France. The moves follow an MoU signed by SAF+ with the Air France-KLM Group in July 2023 for the supply of e-SAF starting in 2030.

The proposed complex in Le Havre would be connected to the hydrocarbon transport network in order to transport the e-SAF to airports in the Paris region, as well as in northern and eastern France via existing infrastructure, also aiming for the 2030 date.

Lhyfe has already gained a head start in producing green and renewable hydrogen through the electrolysis of water at production units powered by renewable energy. In 2021, it inaugurated the first industrial-scale plant in the world to be interconnected with a wind farm, with the world’s first offshore green hydrogen production pilot platform inaugurated in 2022. Two further sites followed last year and the company has several sites under construction or expansion across Europe.

“Green and renewable hydrogen is now a mature solution that has established itself as one of the pillars of decarbonisation,” said Lhyfe founder and CEO, Matthieu Guesné. “It can and must now be deployed as quickly as possible, including in the aviation industry.”

SAF+ is a coalition of international players from across the value chain and has a pilot plant in its home city of Montreal. It is currently developing a portfolio of projects around the world and is aiming for its first commercial-scale plant to come on stream in 2028.

“This agreement between Lhyfe and SAF+ shows our shareholders and stakeholders that our European strategy is well on track,” commented SAF+ CEO Jean Paquin. “Demand for SAF in the coming years will be exponential, so we now need to be able to demonstrate that viable solutions will be put in place in the short term.”

The company’s other French partner, H2V, is a subsidiary of industrial group SAMFI-Invest and has been working since 2016 with the aim of mass producing green hydrogen. Its most mature projects established to date are located in Dunkirk (500 MW), Thionville (400 MW) and also the 36-hectare Marseille Fos (600 MW) site, where the preliminary consultation process was completed in December.

“Our strategy is to prioritise green hydrogen for sectors that have no other decarbonisation alternatives, such as the aviation and maritime sectors, which urgently need innovative solutions to reduce their CO2 emissions,” explained Alexis Martinez, Managing Director of H2V.

Photo: Lhyfe’s world-first offshore pilot site off Nantes, France, is producing 440 kg per day of green hydrogen using the offshore wind farm as its energy source and sea water as its water source

Christopher Surgenor

Editor

• Linkedin

Airbus, airline SAS, Swedish energy company Vattenfall and airport operators Avinor and Swedavia have signed a MoU to work together to develop infrastructure for hydrogen aviation in Sweden and Norway. The partners will undertake a feasibility study covering both countries and over 50 airports, and will develop a framework and review the conditions for a possible roll-out. The one-year study, with the possibility of an extension, will also look at scenarios for the potential number of hydrogen-powered aircraft movements and the volume of hydrogen required that would need to be stored at the airports. Hydrogen is a crucial component of the aviation sector’s energy transition but will require airports to adapt to new procedures linked to refuelling, safety and fire protection, as well as the handling of liquid hydrogen.

The framework will cover the entire chain, from production and transport to storage and hydrogen refuelling at commercial airports. By bringing together competencies that cover all aspects of aviation, the collaboration aims to create an overall picture of the conditions required to enable the transition to hydrogen-powered aviation, say the partners. The work will also identify the pathways to select which airports will be transformed first to operate hydrogen-powered aircraft in both countries, as well as the accompanying regulatory framework.

“Swedavia, Avinor and SAS have already established successful collaborations in fossil-free aviation, and it is therefore exciting that Airbus, with its extensive knowledge of hydrogen-powered aircraft through its ZEROe initiative, and Vattenfall, with its expertise in electricity and energy production, are joining us in a more in-depth collaboration,” said Swedavia CEO Jonas Abrahamsson.

“Hydrogen is expected to gradually become an increasing part of the aviation industry’s fuel mix in the future and will therefore have an increasing effect on the infrastructure and planning of our airports.”

The switch to hydrogen-powered aviation is a complex process, says the Swedish airport operator, and infrastructure will have to be adapted due to the need to store hydrogen and, potentially, to enable the production of hydrogen at, or in close proximity, to airports.

Norway, as well as Sweden, is well positioned to be an early mover in the introduction of hydrogen-powered aircraft, believes Avinor CEO Abraham Foss. “As the owner of 43 airports across Norway, Avinor has already been working on sustainability for many years and has taken a position to be a driving force and facilitator for the green transition of Norwegian aviation,” he said.

Commented Anna Borg, CEO of Vattenfall: “Aviation is a hard to abate industry where breaking away from fossil fuels is a huge challenge today. This cross-border collaboration, however, demonstrates the willingness to bring about change. We look forward to contributing our expertise in electricity market development, electrical infrastructure and hydrogen production in Sweden.”

Airbus unveiled its first ZEROe hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft in 2020, aiming to bring it to market by 2035. It also launched its Hydrogen Hub at Airports programme (see graphic below) to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations. Airbus has already signed agreements with partners and airports in ten countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

“Hydrogen stands out as a key enabler as we pioneer a sustainable aviation future,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “Norway and Sweden are among the most demanding regions for aviation and have great potential for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. I am very pleased to enter into this cooperation with partners fully engaged to take significant steps towards decarbonising aerospace. It fits perfectly with our strategy of deploying hydrogen aviation ecosystems in the most suitable parts of the world.”

In January, Airbus opened a ZEROe Development Centre (ZEDC) at its Stade, Germany, site. The centre will accelerate the development of composite hydrogen system technologies for storing cryogenic liquid hydrogen, said Airbus. ZEDC Stade is part of a network of development centres for technologies to decarbonise the aerospace industry and complement other Airbus sites in Europe to get a hydrogen-powered aircraft in the sky by the middle of the next decade.

Top image (Airbus): Turboprop concept of ZEROe hydrogen-powered aircraft at the airport

Christopher Surgenor

Editor

• Linkedin

American Airlines will join an advisory panel established by aircraft manufacturer Embraer to help define its new Energia family of low-or-no-emission regional airliners. The Brazilian airframer is considering four aircraft concepts, ranging from 9- to 50-seat capacity, powered by a mix of electric, hydrogen and hybrid propulsion systems. Initially, the airframer is focused on 19-seat and 30-seat versions of two proposed aircraft, one powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system, the other hydrogen-electric. Embraer is targeting technology readiness of the Energia Hybrid E19-HE and E30-HE aircraft by the early 2030s, and the Energia H2 Fuel Cell models E19-H2FC and E30-H2FC by 2035. American is a major operator of Embraer jets, as is another recent addition to the Energia advisory group, US contract carrier Republic Airways, which operates over 200 Embraer jets on behalf of American, Delta and United.

While most public discourse on sustainable aviation concentrates on reducing the carbon emissions of large, medium-to-long-range aircraft, predominantly by increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuels, it is the short-haul sector in which novel propulsion technologies are being developed, tested and certified, before being evolved for use in larger planes.

Currently, most focus is on retrofitting existing turboprop aircraft with new electric, hybrid-electric or hydrogen-electric powertrains, which are faster and far less expensive to certify and introduce than all-new aircraft models. But while providing low-emission propulsion for in-service aircraft, the new powertrains will also help pave the way for a new generation of ‘clean sheet’ aircraft such as Embraer’s Energia range.   

“American operates the youngest mainline fleet and the largest regional fleet among US network carriers,” explained Embraer, “and in 2022 consumed more than 2 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel. It has also invested in the development of hydrogen-powered propulsion and infrastructure.”

Arjan Meijer, CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said American had signed a MoU to help define the performance and design characteristics of the Energia aircraft concepts as part of a broader advisory group, with members including airlines, aircraft lessors, engine manufacturers and other suppliers. “It’s essential for Energia’s success that we involve a wide variety of air operators,” he said. “American joining our advisory group, with their huge presence and expertise, is a significant step for the Energia project. This group has developed into a core part of the programme because of the breadth and depth of the expertise the different members bring to the table. We’re excited to work together with a world-leading airline on the biggest challenge our industry faces.”

American’s participation in the Energia project closely followed an order for seven new Embraer E175 jets, to be operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary Envoy Air. Deliveries will begin in Q4 this year, increasing Envoy’s all-Embraer fleet to 141 jets by the end of 2024.

“As the operator of the largest US regional fleet, we believe industry collaborations aimed at advancing decarbonisation technologies are critical to helping aviation reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050,” said American’s VP of Sustainability, Jill Blickstein. “We look forward to working with Embraer and other members of the Energia Advisory Group to develop next-generation, zero-emission aircraft.”     

Although the Embraer Energia project initially is focused on two concepts, the airframer’s broader ambitions feature four.

The 19- and 30-seat Energia hybrid-electric concept aircraft are planned to operate up to 500 nautical miles (926 kilometres), and achieve CO2 emission reductions of 30% if operated with Jet A1 fuel, or up to 90% with SAF, while the Energia H2 Fuel Cell models are being designed to operate over 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres).

Embraer is also considering a 9-seat all-electric version, the E9-FE, again with a 200 nm range, while the largest concept under consideration, the Energia H2 Gas Turbine aircraft (E50-H2GT), will use either SAF or hydrogen to power a gas turbine. The dual fuel options for modified gas turbine engines would offer operational flexibility and lower aircraft weight, enabling a flight range of 350-500 nm (648-926 km) with 35-50 passengers, and technology readiness by 2040. 

To progress its zero-emission aircraft ambitions, Embraer has also joined forces with UK-headquartered GKN Aerospace to help accelerate the introduction of hydrogen-powered aircraft, exploring innovative hydrogen fuel cell technologies, optimised integration of these propulsion systems into airframes, and even the potential for a hydrogen flight demonstrator.

Through its H2Gear programme, GKN is already exploring development of a fuel cell system which converts liquid hydrogen to electricity. Initially, it is targeting use in sub-regional aircraft, but with potential to upscale for larger planes. 

Image: Embraer’s Energia Family concept

Tony Harrington

Correspondent

Add your content…

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Email