Kemble, UK-- ZeroAvia today announced that it has been invited to join the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s extended and expanded Hydrogen Challenge programme.
Working with the CAA, ZeroAvia will explore the necessary safety and regulatory requirements for commercial adoption of hydrogen as it looks towards the certification of its ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain for up to 20 seat aircraft. This work with the regulator includes exploring safe hydrogen fuel storage, distribution and refuelling practices at airfields and on aircraft. It complements ZeroAvia’s efforts to certify its first full hydrogen-electric engine – the ZA600 designed for up to 20 seat planes – with the CAA.
ZeroAvia’s participation in the first round of the Sandbox Challenge included investigating the development, design & testing of the ZA600, and furthering the operational understanding and safety requirements of hydrogen in aviation.
The next stage of the Hydrogen Challenge will see the development of new designs of cutting-edge aircraft that use hydrogen fuel cell power systems and remotely piloted systems to drive down carbon emissions. It will also examine changes to airport infrastructure, include new scientific research by some of Britain’s leading aeronautical institutes, and support flight trials, safety assessments, and demos.
Paul Harper, Director of Airworthiness and Certification, ZeroAvia said:
“Our experiences in the first round of the Hydrogen Challenge have been extremely positive. We are working diligently towards the certification of our first full hydrogen-electric powertrain the ZA600 with the CAA, and this programme will help us prepare the wider ecosystem for flying zero-emission using hydrogen.”
Tim Johnson, Director of Communications, Strategy and Policy, UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
“These trials keep the UK on course to be a world leader in hydrogen propulsion. We are working with some of the most innovative companies and minds to better understand this technology and how it might be introduced safely in the aerospace sector. In doing so, it offers the potential to enable a more sustainable aerospace system and support UK economic growth.”
The news of ZeroAvia’s inclusion in the CAA programme coincides with another regulatory development, with the company receiving a G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system from the FAA in the U.S.
ZeroAvia has already extensively tested a prototype of the ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine aboard a Dornier 228 aircraft at its UK base. The company has an engineering partnership with Textron Aviation as it looks to secure a supplemental type certificate for the Cessna Grand Caravan as the launch airframe for the ZA600.
ZeroAvia has also performed advanced ground tests in the US and UK for the key building block technologies for the ZA2000 system, including cryogenic tanks or LH2 and proprietary high-temperature PEM fuel cell and electric propulsion systems. The ZA2000 will support up to 80 seat regional turboprop aircraft such as the ATR 72 and the Dash 8-400.
About ZeroAvia
ZeroAvia is leading the transition to a clean future of flight by developing electric propulsion technologies for aviation to unlock lower costs and emissions, cleaner air, reduced noise, energy independence and increased connectivity. The company is developing hydrogen-electric (fuel cell-powered) engines for existing commercial aircraft segments and also supplying hydrogen and electric propulsion component technologies for novel electric air transport applications (including battery, hybrid and fuel cell powered electric fixed-wing aircraft, novel eVTOL designs, rotorcraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). ZeroAvia has submitted its first full engine for up to 20-seat planes for certification and is working on a larger powertrain for 40–80-seat aircraft, with significant flight test and regulatory milestones achieved with the U.S. FAA and UK CAA.
