Airbus hydrogen projects selected in EU Clean Aviation funding round

Airbus has secured backing for two research and technology projects tied to its ZEROe programme, after EU Clean Aviation picked them in its fourth funding call. The body said on 17 September that 19 projects will share €290 million in public funding, with €374 million of private investment matching it.

Both Airbus projects involve hydrogen fuel cell-powered aircraft. EHPIC, run by Airbus's German operation, will demonstrate advanced fuel cell propulsion technologies for a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell-powered aircraft. HERO, the second, covers a wider assessment of hydrogen-powered aircraft concepts, how key technologies would be integrated, and their impact.

Clean Aviation has not said how much each project gets. It has made €101 million available for hydrogen-powered aircraft technologies, split between four consortia, and €2.5 million for concept integration studies. Consortium membership details were not immediately available, though Airbus has said it bid for the fuel cell element alongside MTU Aero Engines. The two are forming a joint venture to develop a fuel cell powertrain, expected to be operating by the start of 2027.

The selection appears to set back Honeywell Aerospace, which answered the call with a proposal continuing its NEWBORN fuel cell project funded under an earlier Clean Aviation call. Tests of that power generation system are under way in the Czech Republic. Other hydrogen workstream selections include GE Avio in Italy and Safran Air.