A plan to create a zero-emission plane capable of flying hundreds miles has been given a multi-million pound boost.
ZeroAvia is working on a hydrogen powered plane called HyFlyer which it eventually hopes will lead to commercial aircraft with no carbon emissions.
The pilot project to power a six seater M-class Piper plane using hydrogen fuel cells has been given £2.7 million from the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy, Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate 海角视频.
Match funding will take it to more than £5 million.
Based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, the initial aim is to create a Piper capable of flying up to 300 miles using a hydrogen powertrain.
It is hoped it will be a key step on ZeroAvia’s plans by 2022 to supply commercial operators and aircraft manufacturers with the capability to make 500 mile regional flights in 10 to 20-seat fixed-wing aircraft.
It eventually wants to be able to deliver the same performance as a conventional aircraft engine, but with zero carbon emissions and at around half of the operating costs.
ZeroAvia has partnered with hydrogen fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy, infrastructure specialist the European Marine Energy Centre, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Cranfield University.
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Val Miftakhov, ZeroAvia founder and chief executive, said the government backing underlined the potential that hydrogen holds as a fuel source for commercial aviation.
Mr Miftakhov said: “Our project goal of 300 nautical miles is equivalent to the distance from London to Edinburgh and will prove that zero emission aviation, powered by hydrogen, can play a key role within the 海角视频 and other countries’ transport strategies - enabling net zero targets to be met and improving productivity and regional prosperity.”
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Nadhim Zahawi MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, said the project would strengthen the 海角视频’s reputation as a global leader in aviation innovation.
He said: “We are leading the world in tackling climate change, going further and faster by becoming the first major economy to pass new laws for net zero emissions by 2050.
“The development of a practical alternative to fossil fuels within aviation has the potential to revolutionise domestic travel not just in the 海角视频, but globally.
“I am looking forward to watching our businesses drive the development of this technology forward.”
According to the Air Transport Action Group, aviation is responsible for 12 per cent of CO2 emissions from transport, and growing faster than any other source.
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Intelligent Energy’s evaporative cooling fuel cell technology was developed at Loughborough University in the 1980s and 1990s.
The company was founded in 1995 and is still based in Loughborough. It has developed hydrogen-powered motorcycles, London black cabs and domestic heating systems.
The European Marine Energy Centre, in Orkney, will investigate the infrastructure needed to fuel the aircraft with green hydrogen, initially near its HQ, with a view to replicating that infrastructure across other airports over time.
It makes green hydrogen from wind and tidal energy and is driving the development of a hydrogen economy on Orkney fo power, heat and transport.
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions will help integrating ZeroAvia’s powertrain into the Piper airframe and host the ZeroAvia team at its hangar.
The other partner is Cranfield University, one of the leading aerospace universities in the world.
ZeroAvia has also been working with advisory and investment firm SYSTEMIQ, which helped secure the grant and get the project off the ground.
ZeroAvia has already begun flight testing its powertrain prototype in a Piper M-Class airframe in California - thought to be the world’s biggest zero-emission aircraft currently flying.
It has made several test flights.
ZeroAvia is initially targeting 500 mile flights to serve the short-haul and commuter air travel markets, which make up nearly half the commercial flights worldwide.
A spokesman said: “Smaller zero-emission aircraft will be able to achieve similar per-seat economics as today’s large regional jets, allowing economical use of smaller local airports for point-to-point travel with virtually no security lines or delays, and a much more pleasant overall flying experience.
“In addition to passenger transport, the ZeroAvia powertrain will have applications across other use cases including cargo, air taxi, agriculture, as well as across the aircraft types, including manned and unmanned fixed-wing, rotorcraft, and everywhere in between.”