ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine. Source | ZeroAvia

On Nov. 6, ZeroAvia (Kemble, U.K. and Everett, Wash., U.S.) announced that its application to the Innovation Fund for a €21.4 million 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 (GHG) emissions. The project will also work to deliver hydrogen refueling and storage ?infrastructure at 15 airports in Norway, establishing what ZeroAvia says will be the world’s largest network of zero-emission commercial flights. The air operators for the network will be announced in due course.

The Operations to Decarbonize Interconnectivity in Norway (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 European Union (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 — the company see the future for composites in this application — uses fuel cells to generate electricity from hydrogen fuel without reliance on combustion, meaning that the only emission is low-temperature water vapor. ZeroAvia has already flight tested a prototype of this system, is now ground testing its final design for certification and is concurrently working with the UK Civil Aviation Authority and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on certification programs related to the engine.  

“The EU Innovation Fund is notoriously competitive with applications needing to pass through rigorous assessment and demonstrate compelling evidence for near-term GHG reductions,” notes Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia. “This project will set an example by introducing a scaled network of hydrogen-electric aircraft operations across Norway without the typical associated environmental damage.” 

The Innovation Fund, financed by EU Emissions Trading System revenues, is one of the world’s largest funding programs for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies. The Fund focuses on highly innovative clean technologies and big flagship projects with European added value that can bring significant emission and GHG reductions.