Dutch airline KLM has partnered with British-American startup ZeroAvia to develop a liquid hydrogen-powered turboprop aircraft, with plans for a flight demonstration between two yet-to-be-named airports in 2026.
ZeroAvia specializes in hydrogen-electric powertrains that can be retrofitted onto both new and existing aircraft. The company has secured over $300 million in funding from investors such as Airbus, Amazon, and British Airways to advance its vision of zero-emission flight.
Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which then powers electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers, emitting only water vapor as a byproduct.
In 2021, ZeroAvia announced its development of the ZA2000 engine, designed to propel an 80-passenger aircraft up to 1,600 kilometers. This engine will be retrofitted to a large regional turboprop, such as the ATR72 or Dash 8 400.
KLM will assist ZeroAvia in identifying the optimal flight route and airports for this larger aircraft, as well as obtaining the necessary regulatory permits and ensuring a supply of liquid hydrogen fuel. The Netherlands, the second-largest hydrogen producer in Europe after Germany, plays a crucial role in this effort.
The partners hope that the demonstration flight will accelerate the development of hydrogen aircraft across the EU.
ZeroAvia has already successfully flown a 19-seat Dornier 228 multiple times, retrofitted with its ZA600 engine running on hydrogen gas. The ZA2000, however, will be powered by liquid hydrogen, which requires advanced cryogenic tanks capable of storing the fuel at temperatures below -252.87°C.
Cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage tanks are already used in several industries, including aerospace. For example, Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket uses liquid hydrogen for propulsion. However, the safety requirements for commercial aircraft are more stringent, as they must endure tens of thousands of take-offs and landings and maintain the hydrogen in a liquid state for extended periods.
ZeroAvia has conducted “advanced ground tests” in the US and UK for the ZA2000 system, including the cryogenic tanks. Airbus, a ZeroAvia shareholder, is also developing its own hydrogen-electric systems for aircraft.
ZeroAvia aims to begin selling the ZA2000 powertrain in 2027, following the planned demonstration flight. The company has over 2,000 pre-orders for its ZA600 and ZA2000 powertrains from companies such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Scottish startup Ecojet.
As airlines worldwide seek to decarbonize, several technologies are being considered. The most mature is battery-electric, though current batteries are not dense enough to power flights beyond a few hundred kilometers. Henri Werij, head of aerospace engineering at TU Delft, stated that liquid hydrogen-powered planes have the potential to travel up to 4,000 kilometers using today’s technology.
ZeroAvia claims its hydrogen-electric powertrains will enable zero-emission flight. However, the environmental impact of hydrogen planes depends on the production method of the hydrogen itself. Currently, almost all hydrogen is produced using natural gas, coal, or oil, with only 1% being green hydrogen made through electrolysis using renewable electricity.
“Everyone is presenting hydrogen as a clean energy source, but that’s simply not the case right now,” said Werij. “A lot of these claims depend on massive increases in the supply of green hydrogen.”
Source: Thenextweb.com
