ATI ushers in "new dawn for aviation" with liquid hydrogen jet concept

Long-haul flights across the globe could soon happen with a new design for a liquid-hydrogen-powered jet concept unveiled recently by the UK's Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).

The prototype could stand to carry up to 279 passengers between London and San Francisco or Auckland, New Zealand, stopping only once - all powered through liquid hydrogen that its engineers claim burns at three times the power of regular kerosene as the aviation sector looks to cut emissions across the board.

Read more: Singapore partners with Airbus to explore hydrogen use in aviation

Developed as part of the UK government-backed FlyZero project, the aircraft should display the potential for green liquid hydrogen for both long-haul and shorter flights, offering an alternative to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Hydrogen's use in the aviation sector has been met with ambivalence from some parties, who claim there has not been enough development for it to work as a fuel for aircraft.

Nonetheless, this is one of a number of concepts over the last few years that claims to revolutionise aircraft travel with green hydrogen as a base.

Green hydrogen is often considered an essential part of the energy transition. When used as fuel, the only by-product is water vapour, which likely means it is one of the cleanest forms of fuel currently available.

One of the core principles of the FlyZero project is that rapid investment in cleaner longer-haul flights could also spur infrastructure overhauls at airports, which could aid in the adoption of net-zero travel.

“At a time of global focus on tackling climate change our midsize concept sets out a truly revolutionary vision for the future of global air travel keeping families, businesses and nations connected without the carbon footprint", said FlyZero project director Chris Gear.

Read more: Brazil's Embraer unveils concepts for green planes

“This new dawn for aviation brings with it real opportunities for the UK aerospace sector to secure market share, highly skilled jobs and inward investment while helping to meet the UK’s commitments to fight climate change", he added.

There is still a significant technological leap required to make green hydrogen use in aviation a reality. The ATI claims there is currently growing incentives to resolve these challenges. With other sectors also seeing the potential of green energy, supply costs are expected to drop as demand increases.

The FlyZero project is currently undergoing a feasibility trial to test the project's viability and is set to report its findings in early 2022, including finalising three final concepts for aircraft, technology roadmaps, as well as an economic assessment.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has suggested this concept offers a bright future for British industry, showing that net-zero travel "can be possible".

“Fuelling planes sustainably will enable the public to travel as we do now, but in a way that doesn’t damage the planet. It will not only help us to end our contribution to climate change, but also represents a huge industrial opportunity for the UK", he added.

Read more: Airbus unveils plans for zero-emission hydrogen-powered jets

“As we build back greener, it’s crucial that we place sustainability at the heart of the aviation industry’s recovery from Covid-19", Transport secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement. “This pioneering design for a liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft, led by a British organisation, brings us one step closer to a future where people can continue to travel and connect, but without the carbon footprint."

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