The government has announced the winners of a £3 million funding competition designed to kick start help create the possibility of zero emission flights.
Fifteen projects will receive a share of more than £700,000 and include a Cranfield University project to develop wireless charging for electric planes, a CD02 initiative to develop swappable battery packs to keep flight turnover times down and creating the infrastructure for hydrogen fuelling tanks.
The money is hoped to bring forward research and technology to support UK airports in handling new electric and hydrogen aircraft. The full list of winners can be found here.
One of the winners is hydrogen-electric aircraft developer ZeroAvia, which plans to deliver its first hydrogen-electric powertrains in 2024.
Val Miftakhov, chief executive, said: “We are delighted 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.
“Operators need to be able to fuel their aircraft with low carbon hydrogen, and today’s announcement is a big step towards that.”
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “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.”
Earlier this year, the government launched a £15 million Green Fuel, Green Skies.
A consultation is proposing to mandate sustainable aviation fuel use in the UK from 2025.