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The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) is the trade association for the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry, and is dedicated to the commercialization of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies. Fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies deliver clean, reliable power to leading edge corporate, academic and public sector users, and FCHEA members are helping to transform our energy future. FCHEA represents the full global supply chain, including universities, government laboratories and agencies, trade associations, fuel cell materials, components and systems manufacturers, hydrogen producers and fuel distributors, utilities and other end users.

Aviation Update

Transitions

Aviation Update

Connor Dolan

Since the last “In Transition” blog post focused on aviation was published back in December 2019, there has been so much forward momentum and exciting news, one could say the sector has really started to “take off.” 

A groundbreaking new report from McKinsey & Company, Road Map to a US Hydrogen Economy, finds tremendous potential for hydrogen to reduce emissions in hard to decarbonize industries.  This includes aviation, which, in the United States, uses approximately 1.56 million barrels of jet fuel a day, accounting for 3 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.  The report includes a section on “Low-carbon fuel pathways for aviation and shipping in the US” and highlights global carbon emission reduction targets and how synthetic fuels made with hydrogen could help meet them.

In the previous post, we talked about U.K. company ZeroAvia.  In September, ZeroAvia, as part of a U.K. government funded project, HyFlyer, integrated FCHEA member PowerCell’s MS-100 fuel cell system into a Piper Malibu six-seater plane and completed world’s first flight of a commercial single engine aircraft powered by a fuel cell.  The flight lasted eight minutes, reaching a speed of around 115 miles per hour (100 knots) and an altitude of 1,000 feet.  The event, and spotlight on the entire sector, made the mainstream news, covered by CNN, CNBC, The Washington Post, and many other media outlets.   

Also part of the HyFlyer project, ZeroAvia is working with FCHEA member Toyota, which delivered its Mirai fuel cell vehicle to the company in September to use at its headquarters at Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire, England.  The Mirai will service HARE (Hydrogen Airport Refueling System), the world’s first self-contained, on-airport zero emissions hydrogen production, storage and refueling system.

Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer, reinforced its commitment to adding hydrogen to its portfolio with the introduction of three new “ZEROe” concept planes.  These include a turbofan design that could fit up to 200 passengers with a range of 2,000+ nautical miles; a “blended-wing body” concept, also with a 200 passenger capacity; and a turboprop design for up to 100 passengers and short-haul trips. All three would use hydrogen in modified gas-turbine engines. 

In announcing the hydrogen-fueled aircraft, Airbus’ CEO said he “strongly believes that the use of hydrogen - both in synthetic fuels and as a primary power source for commercial aircraft - has the potential to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact.”  

The company states that using hydrogen in large passenger aircraft will be technically possible in give years, but fuel costs need to come down before they actually enter service.  Like the McKinsey Roadmap report concludes, Airbus agrees that government incentives are required to drive these initial costs down. To get to a point where hydrogen costs are comparable, Airbus’ Vice President of Zero-emissions Technology said, “Government incentives are definitely required… like what we’ve seen in the renewable energy sector so far.”

In the United States, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), awarded $33 million in August to several fuel cell projects in two programs, Aviation-class Synergistically Cooled Electric-motors with iNtegrated Drives (ASCEND) and Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency (REEACH) programs. Several fuel cell projects were included in the funding, securing more than $13 million, primarily focused on the integration of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology into engine systems.

FCHEA member Plug Power expanded into the aerospace sector in 2019, acquiring Canadian-based fuel cell manufacturer EnergyOr.  In August 2020, Plug launched a new 1 kilowatt (kW) ProGen fuel cell system, based on the company’s 300 watt system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other  applications.  The 1 kW engine uses compressed hydrogen gas and lasts three to four times longer than batteries.  Plug Power claims that using liquid hydrogen increases the flight time by nine.   

In September 2020, Plug Power and Universal Hydrogen announced a partnership to develop, build, and certify a commercially-viable hydrogen fuel cell-based propulsion system designed to power commercial regional aircraft. As part of this program, Universal Hydrogen and Plug Power will integrate and test a full-scale, ground-based powertrain prototype—or iron bird. After a successful ground demonstration, the teams will retrofit the powertrain into the aircraft with flight test completion and regulatory approval under a supplemental type certificate (STC) expected by 2024.

Interest, investment, and more “world’s firsts” involving hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the aviation, UAV, and aerospace markets are moving at breakneck speed.  You can catch up by reading some of our past blog posts on the topic (here, here, and here), subscribe to FCHEA’s free monthly Connections newsletter, and by following FCHEA on Twitter.