ZeroAvia, a company working to achieve zero emission solutions for commercial aviation, will close this year with the approval granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the United Kingdom for the start of the flight test phase of its Dornier 228 aircraft modified to operate powered by a hybrid-electric system.
Following clearance from the aviation regulator, which granted the retrofitted aircraft permission to fly, ZeroAvia expects to begin the next stage of evaluations in early 2023.
The company is currently working on the development of hydrogen electric propulsion systems for regional airliners. One of these is the 600-kilowatt ZA600 power plant, designed to power aircraft for between five and twenty passengers. The solution operates on stored gaseous hydrogen gas, which powers fuel cells. These, in turn, convert the hydrogen into electricity, generating power.
Starting next year, ZeroAvia will carry out the first test flights of a 19-seat Dornier 228 equipped with the ZA600 power plant, which will power its left-hand propeller. On the other hand, a single Honeywell TPE-331 engine will power the right-hand propeller. This would make it the largest aircraft ever so far to fly with a hydrogen-electric propulsion system.
According to the company, this step will pave the way for a commercially certifiable configuration of the ZA600 to be introduced by the end of 2023. If all goes according to plan, the first deliveries of commercial aircraft equipped with this propulsion system would begin in 2025.
ZeroAvia is also working on the ZA2000 power plant, which will have a power output of between 2 and 5 megawatts. The project envisages its implementation in aircraft with between forty and eighty seats. The company expects to achieve certification and market entry in 2027.
See also: ZeroAvia and AGS Airports partner to enable zero-emission flights in Scotland
