Airbus’s ZeroE Commercial Aircraft Will Be Powered by Hydrogen
Renderings of delta-wing aircraft and other futuristic jets usually give the impression that cool-looking, zero-emission skies are just ahead. But Airbus‘s latest vision of aviation’s future looks more like a 1950s PanAm regional airliner than a sleek, UFO-style jet.
Behind its staid appearance, the ZeroE aircraft could be one of the biggest game-changers in aviation history. Powered by liquid hydrogen, hydrogen fuel-cell stacks, and electric motors, this carbon-free aircraft was revealed last week at the AirbusSummit on new technologies. It’s a very big deal for aviation lovers (and haters) who doubted that an aircraft that only emits water could ever replace the commercial fleet flying today.
“We’re talking about a 100-seat or bigger fully electric aircraft,” said Glenn Llewellyn, vice president of the Airbus ZeroE project, showing the rendering for the first time. “It would achieve the lowest environmental impact of any propulsion system to date.”
After Airbus started its ZeroE project in 2020, it experimented with different types of emissions-free propulsion, the Turbofan, the Turboprop, and the Blended-Wing Body, all with hydrogen-powered combustion systems. But the aircraft giant made clear it would be ditching those and focusing its efforts on hydrogen fuel-cell stacks to power electric engines. The stacks would use liquid hydrogen as the fuel source.
A schematic of the propulsion system.
Airbus
The aircraft’s four propellers each have a fuel-cell stack powering an electric motor. Airbus has completed a similar 1.2-megawatt system, but the next version will be more powerful. “This will be higher in fuel efficiency and energy density than anything you’ve ever seen previously,” said Llewellyn, adding fuel cells will also become lighter and more compact with advances in technology. There’s no official launch date for the commercial aircraft, but a complete propulsion system will begin testing by 2027.
Airbus partnered with ElringKlinger to develop the fuel cells and has built a facility called Breadboard in Grenoble, France, to test hydrogen fuel cells and equipment to store liquid hydrogen in an aircraft. “It will allow us to validate different configurations at full scale,” said Llewellyn.
A cutaway of the fuel-cell propulsion and propeller.
Airbus
The Airbus Hydrogen Hubs at Airports program is also growing so that infrastructure will be in place when the aircraft moves into commercial service. The program is designed to promote the expansion of the global hydrogen ecosystem. So far, more than 220 airports as well as multiple airlines and fuel companies have signed on as partners.
“For decades, the aviation industry has pursued the ultimate goal of an aircraft that flies with no emissions,” said Llewellyn. “Many thought it was maybe beyond reach. With fuel cells, we believe we found the right technology to turn this ambition into reality.”
