Intelligent Energy (IE), a Loughborough-based hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer, has secured a £17m programme to fast-track development of a new zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell system that could be powering commercial aircraft within the decade.
The award is from the ATI Programme, a partnership between the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), the Department for Business & Trade and Innovate UK. It will support Project HEIGHTS – a three-year drive to develop IE’s current 300kW modular aviation fuel cell platform for use in next-generation aircraft.
Initial applications include Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and short-range commuter planes. IE’s new fuel cell system – IE-FLIGHT™ 300 – is expected to enter early service in Part 23 aircraft (with up to 19 seats) by the end of the decade, with scale-up plans targeting larger (Part 25) regional aircraft in the 2030s.
The investment comes as aviation faces rising pressure to cut emissions.
A switch to fuel cell systems across eVTOL, sub-regional and regional aircraft, as well as Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) on larger aircraft, could reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 25.6 million tonnes per year. IE estimates the total market value – encompassing both sales and servicing revenue – is £19.6 billion, and scaling up production could create as many as 1,600 new jobs.
David Woolhouse, Intelligent Energy CEO, said: “This programme is about getting hydrogen-powered aircraft in the air, and into service at scale, as quickly as possible.
“We firmly believe that hydrogen will be the primary energy source for flight, initially for smaller aircraft but in the longer term for everything that flies. At Intelligent Energy, we have the IP built on 24 years’ experience to give us confidence that we can be the technical leader in this sector. This project supports us in making our modular system even smaller, lighter and more scalable.”
The project will be supported by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Coventry University and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
The funding announcement marks a significant milestone for IE’s aviation division. In February, the company was named as a strategic partner in the Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen Challenge programme.
IE is also expanding its UK operations. In addition to its manufacturing base in Loughborough, the company is enhancing its test and validation capabilities with a new £7.1 million fuel cell test centre opening this summer in Northamptonshire.
