Author: Ammira Shaheena

[Kemble, UK & Everett, WA – November 6th – 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that its application to the Innovation Fund for a €21.4m grant to support the introduction of hydrogen-electric aircraft has been selected for grant agreement preparation. The project will support the retrofit of 15 Cessna Caravan aircraft with ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric engines and the establishment of the supporting airport hydrogen fuel technologies, with operations planned to commence in 2028. 

These zero-emission aircraft are planned to replace conventional kerosene-fueled turboprops on cargo routes and expected to see in excess of 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The project will also work to deliver hydrogen refuelling and storage ​infrastructure at 15 airports in Norway, establishing the world’s largest network of zero-emission commercial flights. The air operators for the network will be announced in due course.

The ODIN project aims to validate the technical performance and economic case for utilizing hydrogen-electric aircraft in commercial operations, with a view to catalyzing further adoption in Norway, across the EU and further afield.  

The project proposal was found to contribute to the objectives of the EU initiative “Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP)” and meets the requirements to receive the STEP Seal. The STEP Seal is a quality label awarded by the European Commission dedicated to boosting investment in critical technologies in Europe. ​ 

ZeroAvia’s ZA600 powertrain uses fuel cells to generate electricity from hydrogen fuel without reliance on combustion, meaning that the only emission is low-temperature water vapour. ZeroAvia has already flight tested a prototype of this system, is now ground testing its final design for certification, and concurrently working with both the UK Civil Aviation Authority and US Federal Aviation Administration on certification programmes related to the engine.  

[Kemble, UK & Everett, WA – September 2nd 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has completed a full flight profile ground test of its certification-intent low temperature proton exchange membrane (LTPEM) fuel cell power generation system (PGS) for the ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain.

The test simulated a 250 nautical mile flight in a Cessna Caravan 208b aircraft, equivalent to flying between London Heathrow and Dublin Airport. During the 2 hour and 38 minute test, the fuel cell system demonstrated stable power output and excellent performance of the balance-of-plants, with each 200kW capable module producing 170kW power for take-off, 132kW during a 23-minute climb and 83kW for a 90-minute cruise. As part of the ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain for up to 20 seat planes, four 200kW rated modules of the dual stack PGS will provide electrical power for ZeroAvia’s 600kW electric propulsion system, recently the subject of G-1 and P-1 issue papers from the FAA.

Each module is capable of feeding DC electrical power to four ZeroAvia 200kW rated inverters, which in turn provide AC power to one of four segments of the company’s proprietary 600kW motor design. The segregated system enables full power operation of the motor if there is failure in one leg, creating a high degree of fault tolerance.  

For the ZA600 engine, ZeroAvia has created a multi-stack balance-of-plant architecture capable of delivering 1.4 kW/kg power density. Since initial breakthrough flight tests, the company has been working to finalize the design of the certification-intent ZA600 as it works to certify with the UK CAA.  

The company also revealed today that it has been able to optimize the weight and operation of its ZA600 power generation system (PGS) through the design and development of a bespoke passive Venturi ejector device (in conjunction with supplier The Lee Company) for the recirculation of hydrogen gas within the fuel cell system.

The latest round of testing has seen the light and compact Venturi emulating the performance of a typical electrically-driven hydrogen blower, but with many advantages. Where the heavy and bulky blower system draws parasitic power from the fuel cells, the Venturi does not, boosting the overall specific power of the system. As a passive mechanical body, the Venturi also promises very low failure rates. 

ZeroAvia’s Venturi design also simplifies the certification of the system as it is reliant on the DO160G environmental qualification, as opposed to the more stringent DO254 for complex hardware that would face a system utilizing the electric blower.  

ZeroAvia’s ZA600 power generation system is the world’s first fuel cell module designed to meet CS-E and CS-23 certification requirements. The innovative balance of plant is en route to full certification and commercialization and is well advanced in the requirements validation testing campaign. 

With both core components of the powertrain now in bench testing, ZeroAvia will move to full engine ground testing of the final design in the next few weeks. The rapid progression to this milestone for the ZA600 power generation system has been made possible by ZeroAvia’s strategy to invest in world class in-house testing facilities. ZeroAvia has built a 2MW capable fuel cell test lab at its Gloucestershire R&D center. ZeroAvia’s fuel cell test lab is equipped with two bays, which has enabled testing the systems in an open frame environment, while also progressing the volume constrained, certification-intent system. 

July 15, 2025 – ZeroAvia and Horizon Aircraft – an advanced aerospace engineering company and developer of one of the world’s first hybrid eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft – today announced plans to work together on developing regional hydrogen-electric VTOL air travel.  

Together, the companies will cooperate on exploring ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain for Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7 eVTOL.   

The Cavorite X7’s unique fan-in-wing design incorporates 14 lift fans providing the thrust for vertical takeoff, with sliding panels which hide the fans as the aircraft transitions from hover to wing-borne flight and flies like a normal plane. For landing, it can use a normal runway, or the fans can be deployed to touchdown on a helipad, or an area the size of a tennis court. 

Horizon Aircraft has already performed untethered flight tests of a large-scale prototype, including demonstrating hover modes and transition to wing-borne flight. The company has received backing from the U.S. Department of Defense and approvals for flight testing from the Canadian regulator.   

As well as investigating the integration of ZeroAvia’s powertrain, the partnership will accelerate research into the necessary infrastructure and certification guidelines to unlock a zero-emission pathway for Horizon Aircraft.  

[@Paris Air Show: June 17th, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Loganair to work towards potential adoption of hydrogen-electric engines to support zero-emission flights.  

ZeroAvia is advancing certification of a 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain for 10-20 seat aircraft with the UK’s CAA. Targeting the Cessna Caravan as the launch airframe, ZeroAvia intends to obtain additional supplemental type certificates (STCs) for other aircraft in this category, including the Twin Otter a popular airframe operated by Loganair to serve communities in the Scottish Highlands & Islands.  

ZeroAvia is concurrently developing the modular ZA2000 engine for 40-80 seat aircraft such as the ATR family of aircraft, with Loganair currently operating more than 20 of these airframes.   

Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity to power electric motors that turn propulsors, with the only byproduct being water. With regional turboprop aircraft operating below typical contrail formation, the in-flight emissions impact is effectively zero.  

Importantly, these novel engines promise cost reductions for airlines. The substantially lower maintenance needs of hydrogen-electric engines will mean a decrease in maintenance and downtime for an airline’s fleet, with hydrogen fuel also projected to be significantly more cost effective than kerosene over time.   

Today’s agreement cements some of ZeroAvia’s growing ties in Scotland. ZeroAvia has been in a longstanding partnership to explore airport hydrogen fuel infrastructure with Glasgow Airport and recently announced plans alongside the First Minister of Scotland to establish its hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing centre close to the airport and Loganair’s headquarters.  

[Everett, WA and Kemble, UK: May 21, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it will build a major manufacturing facility for production of its hydrogen-electric powertrains at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, close to Glasgow Airport in Renfrewshire.  

ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will support the company in a range of manufacturing operations relating to powertrain production and testing and will also be the company’s primary location for production of advanced high temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks and supporting systems. With nearly 3,000 full engine and component pre-orders agreed with airlines and OEMs – corresponding to over $10 billion in future revenues – ZeroAvia is advancing its production operations to meet demand.  

The new facility will complement ZeroAvia’s Propulsion Center of Excellence in Washington State which is focusing primarily on electric motors and power electronics. The company also has plans to expand its R&D and aircraft testing centre at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire. 

The project in Scotland, which will unlock millions in private investment and support hundreds of jobs over the next few years, has been made possible by a £9m Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise. This follows an equity investment of £20m from the Scottish National Investment Bank into ZeroAvia as part of the company’s Series C funding, with the UK National Wealth Fund investing £32 million as a cornerstone-level investor in the round. The Series C funding round was led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and NEOM Investment Fund.

The UK Government awarded ZeroAvia and consortium partners £10.5 million to develop the advanced HTPEM fuel cells in 2024 via the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme in conjunction with the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK. The UK Government has awarded ZeroAvia £18.5 million total R&D funding since 2019 to develop their fuel cell and powertrain technology. This support alongside more than $250 million private investment has enabled ZeroAvia to make rapid progress: flying the world’s first hydrogen-electric commercial scale aircraft in 2020, more than doubling the power output to again fly the world’s largest hydrogen-electric aicraft in 2023, manufacturing and shipping fuel cell systems to customers, and securing significant regulatory traction for the certification of its powertrains. 

Scotland First Minister John Swinney and Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray spoke at an event at Glasgow Airport today (Wednesday 21 May) to launch ZeroAvia’s plans for its manufacturing facility at AMIDS. 

[Everett, WA: March 27, 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FlightSafety International to develop training resources for pilots and maintenance technicians to support adoption of hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies.  

The two partners aim to develop training resources, such as flight simulators and digital learning platforms, that will prepare the aviation industry for the entry of fuel cell electric aircraft, enabling faster market adoption once the aircraft receives certification.   

The two companies, in dialogue with regulators, will also explore future governance of training for new, clean alternative propulsion technologies.  

Through the flight testing of its 19-seat testbed, ZeroAvia has garnered unique experience in both pilot operations and integration as well as maintenance related to hydrogen-electric aircraft engines. In addition, through its work with more than a dozen airports on planning their future hydrogen usage, and via the in-house development of its own smart hydrogen production and mobile storage and dispensing refueling vehicles, ZeroAvia has a strong body of knowledge around airport ground operations relating to hydrogen.      

FlightSafety International has created and delivered safety-focused aviation training for nearly 75 years. It has worked with virtually every business jet and engine manufacturer to prepare pilots and maintenance technicians for every flight scenario, elevating the safety of the entire industry. 

ZeroAvia recently announced it has received an FAA G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system, and targets the full ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain for entry-in-service within the next two years, before scaling to a multi-megawatt powertrain for large regional aircraft. The company has accrued over 2,000 engine pre-orders from major commercial airlines, including American, United and Alaska Airlines, with American committing to a conditional purchase order in July last year.  

[Everett, WA and Kemble, UK, 26th March 2025] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has been named to both TIME Magazine’s Top Greentech Companies in America and TIME Magazine’s Top Greentech Companies in the World. 

ZeroAvia was ranked the number one greentech company in America by TIME in 2024, and ranks in the top 50 again this year, while ranking 81st in the world list.  

The analysis by TIME, in partnership with data firm  Statista, considered the positive impact, financial strength, and innovation of more than 8,000 companies developing products, services, or technologies to reverse the impact of human activities on the planet. The 250 top companies hail from over 30 countries on six continents. 

ZeroAvia is working closely with regulators on the certification of its ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine for up to 20 seat aircraft and developing a second engine for 40-80 seat regional aircraft. The company has over 2,000 provisional engine orders in place, with operators including American Airlines converting these to firm orders. In addition, last year ZeroAvia launched a component offering to other cleansheet innovators based on its core technologies, recently confirming a first sale of its 600kW electric propulsion system to California-based Jetcruzer.  

Over the past year, ZeroAvia has continued to accumulate significant intellectual property from its R&D activity and was named the winner of the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity Green Energy Award for hydrogen. In-house development in pursuit of its full hydrogen-electric powertrains has led to step-change technologies in hydrogen fuel cell power generation, power electronics and electric motor design for aerospace.  

[Everett, WA – March 25th, 2025] – ZeroAvia today announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to conduct a feasibility study focused on integrating hydrogen propulsion into Cessna Caravan aircraft alongside advanced aircraft automation technology. AFWERX awards aim to address research questions with specific implications for the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).  

ZeroAvia will analyze the potential for developing and delivering an 8,000 lb autonomous aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion for reduced engine noise and low thermal signature, thus significantly reducing detectability. Hydrogen fuel cells are a promising technology for improving the range, duration and turnaround time of a range of electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).  

Hydrogen has additional advantages as an aviation fuel as it can be produced at point of refueling given ready supply of electricity and water, which dramatically simplifies fuel logistics – a critical consideration for any defense applications. Finally, hydrogen has the highest energy per unit of weight of any chemical energy source, which allows for potential maximum range of over 2,000 nm (almost 4,000 km) in an autonomous aircraft of this type.  

Reliable Robotics – the California-based specialists in remote operation of aircraft – will support ZeroAvia in exploring relevant autonomous flight systems as part of the study. 

The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and ZeroAvia has started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. The study will explore the integration potential and operational impacts of strategically important technologies in the shape of autonomy and fuel cells.  

ZeroAvia is advancing certification of a 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain – ZA600, which uses fuel cells to convert hydrogen fuel into electricity to power electric motors – with civil regulators. The planned first airframe is the Cessna Caravan, manufactured by Textron. The company recently announced a significant regulatory milestone after receiving an FAA G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system.  

[Everett, WA: 20th March 2025] — ZeroAvia has appointed former Federal Aviation Administrator Billy Nolen as a Senior Strategy & Regulatory Advisor to the company. A vastly experienced safety expert, airline executive and pilot, Nolen will work with ZeroAvia’s team to expedite the push towards certification of both its 600kW electric propulsion system and its full hydrogen-electric powertrains.

ZeroAvia recently announced a significant regulatory milestone after receiving an FAA G-1 issue paper for its 600kW electric propulsion system. The company is also working to certify its first full hydrogen-electric powertrain – ZA600 – with the UK CAA.

Nolen spent more than a quarter of a century with American Airlines, including as a pilot operating narrowbody and wide-body aircraft. His career as a pilot was followed by roles focused on safety with American, Qantas and Westjet, before he joined the FAA, first as associate administrator for safety, before quickly taking on the role of acting administrator.  

Since departing his role at the FAA in June 2023, Nolen has served as Archer Aviation’s Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer and will continue in this role, splitting his time between both of the two innovative aerospace scale-ups.   

[Everett, WA, USA: December, 3rd 2024] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has been selected as a winner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Patents for Humanity Green Energy Program 2024, and the only winner in the Hydrogen category. The award recognizes innovations that address climate change through game-changing green energy technologies that are the subject of or pending a U.S utility patent.  

ZeroAvia was recognized for the totality of its patent applications covering key inventions that unlock hydrogen and electric propulsion for aircraft, enabling the use of green hydrogen as a fuel for truly clean commercial aviation. Patents include an invention that enables more efficient cooling of fuel cells without increasing drag – a longstanding challenge to their practical use to power aircraft – and an invention of novel coatings which enable high temperature PEM fuel cells that promise much higher power density. 

ZeroAvia is advancing technologies that can produce, store and use clean hydrogen efficiently, with the potential to reduce aviation greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 percent. The company has filed 217 patent applications to date, with 31 already granted.

In addition to the impact on emissions, the development of these patents into commercially-applied technologies will lead to improved energy security, reduced air travel costs to help combat inflation, better customer and community experience thanks to cleaner air and lower noise, and the creation of thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs.

ZeroAvia has already extensively tested a prototype of its first 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain, the ZA600, with the zero-emission engine now in the certification process with regulators. The intellectual property accrued by ZeroAvia as part of its full powertrain development has also created valuable hydrogen and electric propulsion component product lines which the company is now offering to other clean aviation innovators.    

The company has also performed advanced ground tests in the US and UK for the key building block technologies for the ZA2000 system, a 2-MW system, including cryogenic tanks for liquid hydrogen storage and proprietary high-temperature PEM fuel cell and advanced electric propulsion systems. The ZA2000 will support up to 80 seat regional turboprop aircraft such as the ATR72 or the Dash 8 400.   

[Kemble, UK and Everett, WA, USA: October 30, 2024] — Today, TIME revealed its annual list of the Best Inventions, which features 200 extraordinary innovations changing our lives. TIME selected ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric aircraft powertrain to feature in this year’s list. 

ZeroAvia’s ZA600 is a 600 kW hydrogen-electric powertrain to propel 10-20 seat aircraft with water vapor as the only emission. The ZA600 uses fuel cells to transform hydrogen fuel into electricity, which then powers a motor that turns the aircraft‘s propellers. It is not a “net” zero-carbon solution, but instead is capable of delivering true zero-emission flight.

Additionally, the ZA600 allows the scalability needed to unlock regional aircraft (40-80 passenger) and, eventually, the larger jets responsible for the majority of aviation’s climate-warming emissions. 

To compile this year’s list, TIME solicited nominations from editors and correspondents around the world paying special attention to growing fields—such as health care, AI, and green energy. TIME then evaluated each contender on a number of key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact. 

[Everett, WA & Hollister, CA] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has been awarded $4.2 million in US federal funding through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition discretionary grant program for Low-Emission Aviation Technology (FAST Tech). The grant will support ZeroAvia’s work to further develop and validate its electric propulsion system designed for 2-5 megawatt powertrain applications.  

The research and development work will take place in ZeroAvia’s Everett, WA, propulsion center of excellence and will advance the design, fabrication, and testing of its proprietary electric motor and inverter toward eventual certification and commercial deployment. 

The work will build on ZeroAvia’s HyperCore stackable motor, previously ground-tested at the Everett facility, as well as its silicon-carbide inverters. It will complement other ZeroAvia R&D projects in the UK focused on industry-leading High Temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cells to unlock hydrogen-electric engines for 40-80 seat aircraft.  

[Farnborough International Airshow, July 24, 2024] – ZeroAvia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today announced that they will work towards a demonstration flight using ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for large regional turboprop.  

Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The only emission is low-temperature water vapor, with studies therefore estimating an up to 90% reduction in climate impact when compared with typical kerosene-fueled flights.[1]   

As a first major target milestone, the companies aim to conduct an initial A-to-B flight demonstration between two airport locations in 2026. As well as identifying the optimal airport pair, immediate workstreams will be working towards regulatory permits to fly and ensuring supply of liquid hydrogen fuel and putting in place the supporting infrastructure for aircraft fueling.   

With this collaboration, KLM and ZeroAvia are providing the evidence-base for adoption of cleaner flight on KLM’s network. Furthermore, the demonstration project will accelerate the development of concepts of operations for hydrogen aircraft across the EU.  

KLM aims to be a more sustainable airline. Supporting advanced technologies such as hydrogen and electric aviation is one of three pillars to help the aviation sector decarbonise. The maintenance divisions of KLM and Air France have already been working with ZeroAvia to build the knowledgebase for effective MRO operations for hydrogen fuel cell planes.   

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) today launched the Hydrogen Propulsion Manufacturing Taskforce, with Gabriele Teofili, ZeroAvia UK Managing Director, joining the group and the inaugural meeting. 

As part of the Advanced Manufacturing Plan announced in November, the government announced the industry taskforce to maximise investment opportunities for the UK manufacturing of hydrogen propulsion systems. 

The Hydrogen Propulsion Manufacturing Taskforce will identify the size of the opportunity to invest in the UK design and development of hydrogen propulsion technologies across land, maritime, and air transport and also identify synergies with hydrogen manufacturing in other sectors, building a comprehensive investment proposition to provide a clear signal to markets.

Delivered in partnership with the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative and Innovate UK, the group will publish its recommendations to Government in 2024. 

[Hollister, CA & Kemble, UK –  March 22, 2024] – ZeroAvia, the leader in zero-emission aviation technology, has appointed ITOCHU Corporation to act as its primary sales representative in Japan for its hydrogen-electric engines for aircraft. ITOCHU will leverage its extensive industry network and seek opportunities with Japanese airline operators and local infrastructure providers.   

ZeroAvia is currently working through certification of its first engine ZA600 – a 600kW powertrain targeting the sub 20 seat regional turboprop market. A prototype engine has been flight tested aboard a Dornier 228 testbed in the UK over the last year. The company is also developing ZA2000, a larger 2-5 MW modular engine designed for 40-80 seat aircraft such as the ATR and Dash 8 families.  

ZeroAvia’s engines use clean hydrogen in fuel cells in a chemical reaction to create electricity, which then powers electric motors to drive propellers. With no combustion of fuel, there is no emission other than low temperature water vapor, meaning that aircraft retrofit with the engines can become true zero-emission, electric aircraft, while maintaining commercially viable range and payload. Hydrogen-electric propulsion also promises economic advantages through reduced fuel and maintenance costs.   

ITOCHU Corporation has a substantial aircraft leasing business, offering a wide variety of aircraft and engine financing. The company is also the largest shareholder in aircraft interior and component manufacturer and MRO service provider Jamco, as well as acting as a sales agent for many international aerospace organisations. 

The Japanese government has set a goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has pledged to invest more than $200 million into hydrogen-powered aviation.  

[Hollister, CA & Kemble, UK – March 18th 2024] – The Hydrogen in Aviation alliance (HIA), formed of easyJet, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Ørsted, GKN Aerospace, Bristol Airport and ZeroAvia, has today released its Milestone Delivery Report – outlining the steps and timeline the UK Government and industry needs to follow to secure its position as a global leader in hydrogen-powered aviation.

The UK is home to many world-first advances in hydrogen-powered aircraft technology, from hydrogen engine testing to the first flights of hydrogen-fuelled planes – making it well placed to be a leader in hydrogen aviation. This would secure substantial economic, employment and sustainability benefits. To realise these benefits we need an industrial strategy for the sector focussed on these long term opportunities.

The UK will need to secure massive increases in hydrogen supply. This will involve the accelerated deployment of renewable energy generation and significant investment in hydrogen infrastructure and skills. 

In order to achieve this, HIA’s new Milestone Delivery Report – which has been shaped by accurate aviation demand figures and other critical industry data – outlines specific steps that need to be taken by industry, government and regulators to equip the UK with everything it needs to be a leader in the field of hydrogen-powered aviation. 

[Hollister, CA – March 7th 2024] –  ZeroAvia has been named to the top of TIME Magazine’s list of America’s Top Greentech Companies 2024.  This new statistical ranking by TIME and Statista arranges the top 250 U.S.-based clean technology companies based on “environmental impact, financial strength, and innovation.” 

Statista’s analysis of ZeroAvia included “the value of the company’s intellectual property portfolio, revenue and funding, and environmental data specific to [the] industry, such as carbon capture, offsets, and renewable energy generated,” leading to ZeroAvia’s combined score of 98.6. 

[Hollister, CA & Kemble, UK – January 28th, 2024] – ZeroAvia today announced that it has been selected by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority as one of three companies to participate in the regulator’s inaugural Hydrogen Challenge Sandbox. The Hydrogen Challenge will see ZeroAvia work with the CAA to ensure increased regulatory readiness, reduced risk of failure, and improved collaboration in the adoption of hydrogen propulsion technologies and fuel.  

The UK Civil Aviation Authority launched the Hydrogen Challenge in November 2023 to help leverage the potential of hydrogen as a zero-carbon emission aviation fuel. The Hydrogen Challenge is funded with nearly £940,000 from the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, which is overseen by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology.   

Introducing hydrogen propulsion is key to achieving the Government’s Jet Zero Strategy and is also a key deliverable for the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s sustainability strategy.  

The UK Civil Aviation Authority will continue to address these issues through its Hydrogen Challenge, using a Regulatory Sandbox approach to make sure regulation is fit for purpose and reduce challenges associated with the introduction of hydrogen fuel. Sandbox services are offered prior to the start of the process for regulatory certification, which will help accelerate the introduction of new technologies. 

ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen-electric (fuel cell) engines for aviation, already flying a prototype system in a Dornier 228 testbed under a CAA Permit to Fly and has submitted its application to certify its first 600kW engine, ZA600. The company will work with the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s challenge to identify hazards, risks, and safety challenges associated with the retrofitting of a hydrogen-electric power train.  

[Hollister, CA & Kemble, UK, February 1st, 2024] — ZeroAvia and flyv today announced that they have signed an agreement to explore powering flyv’s on-demand, low-cost flight operations using ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engines.

Flyv aims to tackle the limitations of conventional travel systems, under strain from escalating demand across many modalities. At the same time, many smaller airfields are under-utilized. As new cleaner technologies reduce the operating costs, an increase in services is feasible.

Flyv plans to use AI to match demand and availability to enable flexible booking for passengers. The company will operate small aircraft carrying around 10 passengers and is exploring existing aircraft in service and novel zero-emission designs.

ZeroAvia is advancing in its efforts to certify a 600kW (ZA600) hydrogen-electric engine capable of powering 9-19 seat aircraft with fuel cell power only. The company plans entry-in-service of ZA600 in around two years’ time.

As part of the agreement, ZeroAvia and flyv will explore regional air mobility networks across Europe, exploring the potential economic and passenger benefits of introducing fuel cell-powered flight.

[Everett, WA: January 24th, 2024] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has successfully completed its initial testing campaign of its 200kW continuous power inverter design. The inverter has been operating at 230 kW from 800 Volts of direct current (Vdc), with a power density of over 20 kW/kg. This inverter performance is a large step change for the industry. 

The highly weight-efficient inverter technology is an integral part of the zero-emission, hydrogen-electric aviation engines that ZeroAvia is developing. Inverters take the DC-power supplied by the electric power source and convert it to Alternating Current while controlling the flow to electric motors. Such power sources can be hydrogen fuel cells (as in ZeroAvia engines), batteries, or even various hybrid systems. Hydrogen-electric systems are predicted to have the furthest reaching environmental benefits of all technologies considered practical for commercial aviation, with only low temperature water vapor exhaust.  

ZeroAvia has developed its own silicon carbide inverters over the last two years, with a number of innovations around semiconductor module designs, gate driver designs, modularity of phase circuits, and high degree of manufacturability. Additionally, advanced thermal management technologies and integration enable reliable high performance at altitude and successful engine compartment location. The company has developed the inverters in single (225kw peak / 200kw continuous) and dual (450kw peak / 400kw continuous) configurations. 

ZeroAvia’s core inverter technology will be used across all sizes of engines – starting with 600kW ZA600 engine for 9-19 seat aircraft, and then later also integrated into the HyperCore motor – the modular 900kW electric motor designed to be stacked in series in ZA2000, the company’s engine variant for 40-80 seat regional turboprops.  

With ZA600 certification efforts underway across the US and UK, this validation of the key engine component is a major milestone for the company and supports the plan to complete certification by the end of 2025. It also represents an IP breakthrough, with the ZeroAvia inverter representing a step change in specific power performance for power electronics devices.  

[Hollister & Livermore, CA: January 22nd, 2024] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has been awarded $3.25 million in funding by the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop a first-of-a-kind mobile liquid hydrogen (LH2) refueling truck for heavy-duty applications, including aviation and maritime. Funding for the project comes from the Gas R&D Program administered by the CEC and authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Working at Livermore Municipal Airport, ZeroAvia will begin work this month to design, build, and demonstrate a 10,000-liter mobile LH2 refueler with sufficient flow rates to refuel in a similar time as traditional jet fuel refills. Hitting this ambitious target will support hydrogen-powered aircraft in meeting tight turnaround windows, especially in regional transport.

The LH2 refueler will also be designed to improve on existing energy efficiency in LH2 applications, including reducing hydrogen boil-off to less than 0.1% per day.

ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen fuel cell propulsion as a solution to tackling the climate impact from aviation. The company plans to support passenger and cargo flights by the end of 2025 with its first hydrogen-electric engines (ZA600) for 9-19 seat aircraft using gaseous hydrogen storage.

To scale hydrogen engines to larger commercial aircraft and to enable longer ranges across all aircraft sizes, cryogenic liquid hydrogen must be used to reduce the size and weight of the fuel storage systems. ZeroAvia is already developing its larger ZA2000 engine family, with the first high power ground tests of the fully integrated electric propulsion system conducted earlier this year. These larger aircraft – such as the Dash-8-400 76-seat aircraft ZeroAvia is working on with Alaska Airlines and other partners – will require up to 1 ton of LH2 storage on board to support up to 700 nautical mile range, with target launch in 2027.

The CEC-funded project advances the commercial viability of liquid hydrogen fueled aircraft by supporting advancements in energy performance, cost efficiency, and refueling speed. The technology also has potential application in other segments of the transportation sector, including road freight and maritime.

[Hollister, CA & Kemble, UK: January 18, 2023] — ZeroAvia today announced that MEHAIR has placed a conditional order for up to 20 ZA600 hydrogen-electric engines. The order adds to the over 2,000 engine pre-orders secured by ZeroAvia. 

MEHAIR (Maritime Energy Heli Air Services Pvt Ltd.) has historically offered services across the Indian sub-continent, commencing with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2011. The company now has ambitious plans to grow across a range of sub-regional routes across India with both amphibian and wheeled aircraft.  

MEHAIR will explore a range of options for financing the acquisition and retrofit of the engines to its upcoming fleet of 10 Cessna Caravan aircraft , including working with potential leasing partners. The company already has a relationship with MONTE as its preferred ZA600 lessor partner. ZeroAvia and MEHAIR will also work together on establishing the fuel supply for the operator’s services across India.  

ZeroAvia plans to certify the ZA600 by the end of 2025 and is already working closely with the UK’s CAA as well as other regulators to ensure harmonization and rapid certification globally.  

India has big aspirations to use hydrogen as a key enabler of its clean energy future, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors like aviation, and to deliver net zero by 2070. A target of reaching 5 million metric tons of hydrogen production per annum has been set for 2030.   

Aviation too is growing dramatically across the country, with passenger numbers more than doubling over the last decade and more than 500m passengers per annum predicted by 2030 according to CAPA, India.  

[Hollister, CA & San Francisco, CA: January 16, 2024] — ZeroAvia and Verne today announced that they have signed an MOU to jointly evaluate the opportunities for using cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH2) on-board aircraft and for conducting CcH2 refueling from gaseous hydrogen (GH2) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) sources. 

ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on developing hydrogen-electric engines for all types of aircraft as the most environmentally and economically-friendly solution for the industry’s growing climate change impact. Aviation accounts for ten percent of all U.S. transportation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and three percent of total U.S. GHG emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Verne is a hydrogen storage and refueling technology startup focused on solutions using cryo-compressed hydrogen for heavy-duty sectors. Cryo-compressed hydrogen stores gaseous hydrogen at cold temperatures, increasing the energy density of the fuel, which could enable a longer range compared to GH2 powered aircraft.   

According to analysis by Verne, cryo-compressed hydrogen can achieve 40 percent greater usable hydrogen density than liquid hydrogen and 200 percent greater usable hydrogen density than 350 bar gaseous hydrogen. Additionally, the application of cryo-compressed hydrogen promises to significantly reduce cost of densification and refueling time, increase dormancy time relative to LH2 systems, and potentially eliminate venting for pressure management.   

ZeroAvia and Verne will assess the potential benefits of scaling CcH2 storage and refueling infrastructure at airports across the world, as hydrogen-electric propulsion scales to support larger and larger aircraft. The two companies will also work together to develop a model for initial airport locations in California. 

Verne has developed large hydrogen storage systems exhibiting 4 MWh of storage. Recently, Verne and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced the demonstration of Verne’s 1 MWh CcH2 storage prototype. Verne has received federal grants for the development of its technology, including from ARPA-E. Verne is backed by Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Caterpillar Venture Capital, Collaborative Fund, and other leading investors. As well as rapid work to develop its propulsion technology, ZeroAvia has been active in demonstrating hydrogen airport infrastructure. 

[San Francisco, CA: January 11, 2024] — ZeroAvia, a leader in developing zero-emission solutions for commercial aviation, has been named on Cleantech Group’s 2024 Global Cleantech 100.  This annual list, now in its 15^th year, serves as a definitive guide to the top companies making significant contributions to sustainable innovation.

The Global Cleantech 100 is a comprehensive showcase of the most promising private companies in the cleantech ecosystem.  The report will introduce you to the innovators with outstanding technologies, original business models, and bold plans that can enable us to act on the ever-increasing climate and environmental crisis. 

Selected through a thorough evaluation process, these companies provide sustainable solutions for a wide-ranging array of industry groups:

• Agriculture & Food
• Energy & Power
• Materials & Chemicals
• Resources & Environment
• Transportation & Logistics

[Kemble, UK & Hollister, CA: January 10th, 2024] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has signed an agreement with ScottishPower to work together to develop low carbon hydrogen supply to key airport locations to support decarbonisation of the aviation sector.  

As well as exploring airport hydrogen supply models and financing, the companies will also explore clean power requirements and hydrogen production infrastructure for potential future ZeroAvia sites within ScottishPower’s distribution network areas across Scotland, North West England and North Wales.  

ScottishPower’s energy generation operations are already 100 per cent renewable and powered by its UK wind farms, with the company offering retail and business customers wholly clean energy on green tariffs.   

ZeroAvia recently announced a 70 engine agreement with Scottish headquartered Ecojet, backed by the prominent environmentalist and entrepreneur Dale Vince. The company also has a longstanding partnership with AGS Airports, including Glasgow and Aberdeen to explore the hydrogen infrastructure requirements for airports to support hydrogen-electric flight and other potential use cases.  

The Scottish Government’s target of 5GW renewable and low carbon hydrogen production by 2030 is half of the UK Government’s overall target, while major hydrogen production initiatives are also planned for the North West of England.  

Kemble, UK & Hollister, CA – November 27, 2023 – ZeroAvia today announced that it has completed its Series C funding round at a total of $116m. 

The UK Infrastructure Bank joins the round as a cornerstone-level investor alongside co-leads Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and NEOM Investment Fund (NIF) as announced in September, with the Series C round set to accelerate the company’s journey to certification of its first engines and advance R&D that will scale the clean propulsion technology for larger aircraft.  

The financing supports the UK’s status as a market leader in research and development in both aviation and hydrogen and will support ZeroAvia’s ambitious growth plans in the UK.   

Aviation is one of the fastest growing sectors, and one of the most challenging to decarbonise, contributing the equivalent of more than 38 million tonnes of CO2 from international and domestic journeys starting and ending in the UK. Around a quarter of UK carbon emissions are predicted to come from aviation in 2050. This funding raise will help support the Government’s target to decarbonise aviation by 2050 by developing new clean propulsion technologies that can be flying between UK airports this decade.   

A thriving sustainable hydrogen ecosystem will be crucial for net zero and is an area in which the UK Infrastructure Bank is keen to act as a market leader. The success of hydrogen in aviation can act as a catalyst for the development and rollout of wider hydrogen infrastructure, helping to create a green hydrogen market in the UK and beyond.  It also strongly aligns with the Bank’s mandate to support nascent technology and crowd in private investment against its twin objectives of driving regional growth and tackling climate change.    

Hollister, CA & Kemble, UK — November 24, 2023 — Piasecki Aircraft Corporation, a global leader in rotorcraft and aerial vehicles, announced today that it has been awarded a $37 million multi-year contract by AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as part of its Strategic Funding Initiative (STRATFI) program. This funding will support two projects, one of which is a partnership with ZeroAvia to develop fuel cell propulsion for Piasecki’s PA-890 and other vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) rotorcraft applications.  

Piasecki is collaborating with ZeroAvia to develop and implement its revolutionary High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell technology for PA-890 and other VTOL applications. The other project supported by the award will enable Piasecki to flight demonstrate its Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) tilt-duct vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS). 

The PA-890 eVTOL aircraft is expected to be the first zero-emission hydrogen-powered compound helicopter. The slowed-rotor winged helicopter is intended for use in a variety of missions including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), delivery of high-value On-Demand Logistics (ODL), On-Demand Mobility (ODM), personnel air transport, and many other commercial applications across the $40 billion commercial light helicopter market. In addition to zero carbon emissions, the PA-890 will enable significant reductions in operating cost and noise compared with today’s fossil fuel turbine helicopters and significantly greater range than all-electric helicopters. 

Kemble, UK & Hollister, CA: August 23rd, 2023] — ZeroAvia today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Masdar, one of the world’s leading clean energy companies, to explore hydrogen production and supply at key locations.

The partnership with the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company, Masdar, will focus initially on projects in North America and Europe, while also looking at the opportunity to establish clean flight operations in the UAE.

Masdar aims to be a global green hydrogen leader through a “smart first mover” approach, by developing and investing in strategic projects and building scalable platforms in key markets. The company is targeting 1 million tonnes of green hydrogen production per year by 2030.

Masdar’s Green Hydrogen division is already heavily involved in major aviation projects targeting the production of green hydrogen. This new collaboration with ZeroAvia is likely to power the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial flights.

The UAE aims to produce 1.4 million tonnes of hydrogen annually by 2031 and expects the figure to increase tenfold to 15 million by 2050, showing the scale of the country’s ambitions.  Masdar is deeply committed to building the UAE’s green hydrogen economy and has signed and executed several global collaboration agreements with strategic partners in recent years.

ZeroAvia is working with some of the world’s largest energy companies to convene the provision of fuel for its airline operator customers, as early as 2025. The company is targeting refueling onboard aircraft tanks for up to 90- seat aircraft at commercial airports by the end of this decade. With every such aircraft requiring up to 1 ton of hydrogen per each short regional flight, even a small commercial airport can drive more than a hundred tons of demand daily. All this fuel can be produced via a zero-emission process using renewable electricity.