ZeroAvia announced that the UK Government has awarded the company and consortium partners a grant towards a £10.8-MM project to develop a novel liquid H₂ management system. The project, co-funded through the ATI Program, will culminate in integration of the lightweight fuel system into a Dornier 228 before a series of flight tests.

The Liquid H₂ System Integration & Flight Test (LH-SIFT) project will rapidly develop a Liquid H₂ Management System (LHMS) and create an adaptable flight testbed capability. The testbed capability will benefit UK and global LH₂ supply chains in maturing liquid H₂ technologies faster.

The LH₂ management system developed as part of LH-SIFT is comprised of a novel lightweight metallic tank design and supporting systems for filling and managing storage and distribution. Consortium partners Green Resource Engineering and Gas & Liquid Controls will collaborate with ZeroAvia on fill, feed, vent and vaporizer systems. 

The project will also establish the world’s first liquid H₂ flying commercial airframe testbed, providing unique opportunities for later projects to develop and test cryogenic aviation fuel system components in flight, building strong UK leadership in this area. 

ZeroAvia is advancing the certification of a 600-kW H₂-electric powertrain for 10-20 seat planes using gaseous H₂ fuel. However, the company is also developing the next generation of fuel cell aircraft engines with its ZA2000 for 40-80-seat aircraft and supporting other high-power use cases through its component offering. To support these aircraft’s typical missions, it is necessary to transition to liquid H₂ fuel storage – storing fuel at cryogenic temperatures around -253°C – which enables more energy by volume. In addition to fueling larger aircraft platforms, smaller zero-emissions aircraft can also benefit from using liquid H₂ to extend their capability.

“Liquid hydrogen is needed to achieve the volumetric and gravimetric energy density required by larger zero-emission aircraft that no other solution offers. This project will drive further evolution of liquid hydrogen technology and provide the capability to test and validate these in–flight and through refueling operations. It will help to unlock investment from the wider aerospace ecosystem that can scale zero–emission aircraft technology and the supporting hydrogen airport infrastructure. With UK capabilities at the heart of this project, it represents a great opportunity for the UK’s advanced manufacturing supply chain,” said James McMicking, Chief Strategy Officer, ZeroAvia.

“This government is backing our aerospace sector to soar and this investment will  keep it at the forefront of innovation, not only delivering economic growth but boosting the charge to net zero 2030, two key pillars of our Plan for Change,” said UK Government Industry Minister Sarah Jones speaking in reference to this project and other ATI investments.

“This is the latest win for British aerospace in the run-up to the launch of our Industrial Strategy, which will turbocharge growth in our advanced manufacturing and defense sectors to take them to new heights, bringing new high-skilled jobs to every corner of the UK.”