The winners of a zero-emission flight aviation competition were announced today. Quadrant Transport looks at how this will shape the future of the aviation industry.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today (29th September) announced the winners of the latest £3 million competition focused on making zero-emission flights a reality.
Winning projects include wireless charging for electric planes, swappable battery packs to keep flight turnover times to a minimum and state-of-the-art fuelling tanks to refuel flights of the future safely and efficiently.
The fifteen successful projects have been awarded a share of over £700,000 to help bring forward innovative research and technology which can support UK airports in handling new types of electric and hydrogen aircraft.
ZeroAvia, creators of the world’s first hydrogen plane, are one of fifteen winning projects
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Quadrant Transport: “As the world reopens from the pandemic, it is essential that we are investing in greener aviation as part of our transport decarbonisation agenda.”
Funding these revolutionary projects will help to slash carbon, create jobs and get us closer to our goal of operating zero-emission flights.
The funding forms part of the Government’s commitment to the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, with a commitment of £3m of funding to research into airport infrastructure for zero-emission flights this year.
The projects will help the aviation industry achieve net-zero
Aviation Minister, Robert Courts told Quadrant Transport: “As an island nation, aviation is essential for our future growth and plans to build back better and greener from the pandemic.
With COP26 around the corner, we’re ramping up our efforts even further by funding the technology that unlocks the flights of the future.
Earlier this year, the UK Government set out its ambition to become world leaders in sustainable aviation fuel production, launching the £15 million Green Fuel, Green Skies competition and publishing a consultation proposing to mandate SAF use in the UK from 2025.
Hydrogen-powered aircrafts are just some of the innovations for the future
Speaking about the funding, Val Miftakhov, CEO of ZeroAvia, said: “We are delighted to have been successful with the Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure project and to have the opportunity to show just how these projects are critical to the future of zero-emission aviation.”
In the future, we believe there will be a hydrogen-electric engine in every aircraft as this is the only viable way to deliver truly zero-emission aircraft and to comprehensively tackle the industry’s growing climate impact.
“When we deliver our first hydrogen-electric powertrains into service in 2024, operators need to be able to fuel their aircraft with low carbon hydrogen, and today’s announcement is a big step towards that.”
Earlier this year, the UK Government set out its ambition to become world leaders in sustainable aviation fuel production, launching the £15 million Green Fuel, Green Skies competition and publishing a consultation proposing to mandate SAF use in the UK from 2025.
The competition supports the early development of improvements within the industry. The government also hopes to turn materials such as everyday waste into jet fuel, saving over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions.
This funding is the latest in a string of initiatives aimed at reducing emissions from flying and consolidating the UK’s position as leaders in green aviation.
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