Thu, Dec 16, 2021
More Investors Jump On the Hydrogen-Electric Bandwagon
United and Alaska Airlines have joined fellow investors to support ZeroAvia's efforts at developing a 2 to 5 megawatt powertrain for commuter aircraft. The sustainable aviation company has made headway on their ventures, bringing in a number of big fish investors to the sum of $115 million total. United anticipates an order of 50 of the hydrogen-electric engines, with an option for 50 should they desire it.
ZeroAvia says they are on schedule to offer commercialized hydrogen propulsion by 2024, planning for a 500-mile range in a 10-20 seat aircraft. That offering would see service in anything from passenger transport, package delivery, agriculture, or air taxi use for outlying spokes in the feeder airport system. The most recent funding round targets the larger aircraft in planning, seating 40 to 80-passenger turboprops by 2026. If successful, an even larger regional jet replacement could be released on its heels in 2028, as well as an expansion throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and continental Europe.
The boost in zero-emission aviation investments has been notable following the recent COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow where CEO Val Miftakhov addressed the UK Parliament on the impact of aviation on global emissions. The message has been heard loud and clear throughout the industry: Lower emissions, or get left behind. With climate goals ranging from complete carbon neutrality by 2030, to zero-emissions by 2050, groups have established a variety of targets that depend heavily on affordable, accessible alternative power sources. ZeroAvia has positioned itself as one of, if not the best hydrogen provider, launching their own hydrogen aviation summit to provide a framework for the growing market. In their last summit, the company said that "a new golden age of aviation is upon us, and it is being led by hydrogen power," pointing to their services as the only realistic way to quickly and effectively bring about "true zero-emission flight".
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