Developing Hydrogen Aircraft Network In Norway

ZeroAvia, developer of hydrogen-powered aircraft, announced it has been awarded a €21.4 million ($24.8 million USD) grant by the Innovation Fund to develop a network of hydrogen-electric aircraft and the establishment of the supporting airport hydrogen fuel technologies in Norway. Operations are planned to begin in 2028.

The project includes the retrofit of 15 Cessna Caravans with ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric engines and building out airport hydrogen fuel infrastructure.

The Innovation Fund is financed by revenues from the European Union Emissions Trading System, and is one of largest funding programs in the world for demonstrating low-carbon technologies. It says it focuses on innovative clean technologies and large projects with European added value to bring significant reductions in emissions and greenhouse gasses.

This project will support the first introduction of zero-emission hydrogen aircraft in the European Economic Area and for the Norwegian Project ODIN – Operations to Decarbonize Interconnectivity in Norway. The latter also recognizes hydrogen-electric aviation as a strategically valuable technology.

The ODIN project is intended to validate the technical performance and economic case for deploying hydrogen-electric aircraft in commercial operations. The idea is to stimulate further adoption in Norway, the EU, and beyond.

Val Miftakhov, Founder & CEO of ZeroAvia said, “The EU Innovation Fund is notoriously competitive with applications needing to pass through rigorous assessment and demonstrate compelling evidence for near-term greenhouse gas reductions. This project will set a phenomenal example by introducing a scaled network of hydrogen-electric aircraft operations, efficiently delivering vital goods to people and businesses across Norway without the typical associated environmental damage.” 

FMI:  zeroavia.com/