ZeroAvia, a company that innovates in the development of aircraft engines powered by hydrogen and electricity, and ASL Aviation Holdings, signed an agreement to accelerate the deployment of this technology in the air cargo industry, with the aim of contributing to the decarbonization of the sector.
Under the agreement, ASL will provide an ATR 72 freighter aircraft for ZeroAvia to begin conversion work. Additionally, the companies expect 10 ASL aircraft to be converted to launch CO2 emission-free operations by 2026.
“ZeroAvia will collaborate with ASL on the development of its ZA2000 powered powertrain. This replacement is a 2 to 5 megawatt (MW) propulsion system for aircraft models that are typically equipped with 40 to 90 seats in passenger configurations. It is optimized to fit the ATR72 aircraft and uses a hydrogen fuel cell and electric motor powertrain,” according to a statement issued by ZeroAvia.
Both companies are members of the ASL CargoVision Forum, an initiative to boost innovation and sustainability in the air cargo industry through the introduction of new technologies that promote zero-emission operations.
ZeroAvia has been actively working through collaborations with different industry players to promote the implementation of its hydrogen-electric motors in different versions of aircraft. A few weeks ago they announced a partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries RJ Aviation Group to advance towards that goal in regional jets.
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Dave Andrew, CEO of ASL Aviation Holdings, said, “This agreement further reinforces the company’s commitment to be a pioneer in introducing new emissions-reducing technology into our existing fleet. ZeroAvia will support us in providing vital cargo and connectivity services in an environmentally sustainable mode without having to wait for the introduction of new aircraft types.”
He added, “It is critical for ASL that we immediately take steps to reduce our carbon footprint, and ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrain will enable us to operate cost-effective regional cargo services using existing aircraft that now operate with traditional turbines.
Val Miftakhov, CEO and founder of ZeroAvia commented, “ASL has identified zero-emission technology as a huge priority and is gladly capitalizing on the energy opportunity. Given our success in demonstrating the technology in-flight tests, the advanced nature of the R&D for our first certifiable configuration, and the technological progress we are achieving, we are confident that this partnership will lead to some of the first commercial freight operations using hydrogen-electric propulsion.”
The agreement between ASL and ZeroAvia places the near future as a concrete possibility for sustainable freight operations in highly concentrated markets. To ensure refueling for these aircraft, ZeroAvia is working on the implementation of the airport ecosystem it developed together with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).
