Green aviation projects get cash injection

Part of the ATI (Aerospace Technology Institute) Programme, the hydrogen and battery-electric projects will see government providing half of the investment total, with industry matching it.

H2GEAR - the largest of the three endeavours - will see a GKN-Aerospace-led consortium of partners seeking to develop a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2026, creating a potential 3,000 jobs over the next decade. The team will initially develop a liquid hydrogen propulsion system for short-distance flight, which could later be scaled up for larger aircraft and distances.

“Hydrogen-powered aircraft offer a clear route to keep the world connected, with dramatically cleaner skies,” said Russ Dunn, chief technology officer for GKN Aerospace. "Working with our partners, and made possible by government investment, GKN Aerospace will develop and industrialise the breakthrough technology to fly aircraft with zero CO2 emissions by the mid-2020s.”

The second of the projects, HYFlyer II, will see ZeroAvia working with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and Aeristec to develop a 19-seater hydrogen fuel cell aircraft. In September 2020, ZeroAvia made an eight-minute hydrogen-powered flight from Cranfield using a Piper Malibu airframe. According to the company, its 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain is platform-agnostic and could be capable of powering a 350-mile flight within the next two years.