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Airbus announces a “milestone” on the way to hydrogen aircraft and opens a development center in Stade. The first flights are scheduled to be tested as early as 2026.
Stade – Airbus has successfully commissioned the first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell for aviation – and is now strengthening its presence in Germany with the opening of a development center for hydrogen technologies in Lower Saxony. It should include the other Airbus locations BremenNantes (France), Madrid (Spain) and Filton (United Kingdom) to get a hydrogen-powered aircraft in the air by 2035. Just recently had Airbus announced 3,500 new jobs in Lower Saxony and Bremen to accomplish.
Airbus wants to have a hydrogen-powered aircraft in operation by 2035. The fully electric concept for up to 100 passengers is based on a fuel cell drive system. © Airbus SAS 2023
Airbus reports “milestone” on the way to hydrogen aircraft
In a statement on Tuesday (January 16) reports Airbus the commissioning of the first “ZEROe” fuel cell – an “important milestone on the way to hydrogen-powered flight”. The developers of the drive without CO₂ emissions rave on Twitter: “The ZEROe teams have successfully put the “Iron Pod”, part of the hydrogen propulsion system for our electric concept aircraft, into operation. Its 1.2 megawatts of energy are enough to power 12 electric cars!”.
Airbus is developing mega fuel cells that will make flying with hydrogen possible from 2035
Back in December 2020, Airbus presented four concepts for hydrogen-powered aircraft. One of these was fully electric and used hydrogen fuel cells and a propeller drive system. In fuel cell drives, hydrogen is converted into electricity through a chemical reaction. Simple H₂O is formed as a byproduct of the reaction, resulting in almost no Co2 emissions when flying.
Flying is currently the most climate-damaging way of getting around. The enormous potential of hydrogen fuel cells for the decarbonization of aviation makes them a key technology for climate-neutral flying, but there was a challenge: of the existing hydrogen fuel cells on the market when the project began, none provided the enormous energy needed to power an aircraft at an acceptable weight. This has now happened with the 1.2 megawatt development by the Airbus research team.
“This was a big moment for us because the architecture and design principles of the system correspond to those that we will see in the final design,” explains Mathias Andriamisaina, head of the project’s test and demonstration department.
Model of the all-electric ZEROe fuel cell drive from Airbus, which will power hydrogen aircraft in the future. © Airbus SAS 2023
Airbus opens new development center for hydrogen technologies in Stade
In order to advance its technologies more quickly, Airbus has now opened a location in Stade. Similar to Bremen, the focus of the new ZEROe Development Center (ZEDC) is on the development of hydrogen tanks that will be used in civil aircraft in the future. The overall initiative aims to develop new technologies that will ultimately enable emission-free flying. The integration of an innovative tank structure plays a crucial role.
The two northern German locations work with different materials: At the ZEDC in Bremen, founded in 2021, the focus of research is on system installation and development of metallic tanks for hydrogen. In Stade, however, the focus is on the development of cost-effective, lightweight hydrogen systems made from composite materials.
Why hydrogen cars offer better propulsion
Stade will become part of the international Airbus development network for emission-free flying
The ZEDC Stade will thus become part of an existing network of development centers where Airbus researches methods to reduce the climate impact of aviation. In addition to Stade, this network also includes locations in Bremen, Nantes, Madrid and Filton.
The first flights are scheduled to be tested as early as 2026 – Easyjet would like to become the launch customer
Testing of the first version of the “Iron Pod” will continue until 2024. The size, mass and performance of the propulsion system should then be optimized to meet the flight specifications – including the system’s responses to vibrations, humidity and altitude.
Once these optimizations and tests are completed, the fuel cell propulsion system will be installed on a flight test platform and tested on the ground. Flight testing should begin as early as 2026. Johan Lundgren, CEO of the airline Easyjet has already announced 2023to become the launch customer for Airbus’ hydrogen aircraft.