Startup ZeroAvia has partnered with Mitsubishi’s CRJ support division, MHI RJ Aviation, to develop hydrogen-electric propulsion for regional jets, aiming for market availability in 2028.
Formerly the CRJ business acquired from Bombardier by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in June 2020, Montreal-headquartered MHI RJ Aviation (MHIRJ) is the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul provider for the regional jet family.
The collaboration will leverage ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion technology and MHIRJ’s aircraft design, certification and support expertise. MHIRJ will support ZeroAvia by providing engineering services in support of FAA Part 33 certification of the zero-emission propulsion system.
The companies will also work together to evaluate the feasibility of a retrofit program for regional aircraft. “We are working with propulsion innovators to ensure that we are at the forefront of such developments,” MHIRJ President and CEO Hiro Yamamoto said.
ZeroAvia is developing a 600-kW gaseous-hydrogen fuel-cell power train for 19-passenger regional turboprops and is modifying a Dornier 228 into a flying testbed. First flight is expected “in the coming months,” the startup said. Certification and market entry is planned for 2024.
ZeroAvia has also launched development of a 2-megawatt liquid-hydrogen fuel-cell power train for 50-80-seat regional turboprops, with plans for market entry in 2026. This would be followed by a retrofit offering for the regional jet market.
“We believe that in the future almost every aircraft in the world will be powered by hydrogen-electric engines, simply because it is the most viable and scalable method for eliminating carbon and also to cut other harmful emissions from the aviation sector,” ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov said.
Another startup, Universal Hydrogen, is developing 2-megawatt fuel-cell propulsion retrofits for the ATR 42/72 and De Havilland Canada Dash 8 regional turboprops, with entry into service planned for 2025. And Deutsche Aircraft, which is returning the Dornier 328 to service as the 40-seat 328eco, is working with German fuel-cell propulsion specialist H2Fly to build a hydrogen-fueled demonstrator.
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