Airbus is expanding its footprint in the United Kingdom by establishing a Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) for hydrogen technology.
Priority for the UK ZEDC will be the development of a cost-competitive cryogenic fuel system required for the successful entrance into service of Airbus’ ZEROe passenger aircraft by 2035, as well as the acceleration of UK expertise in hydrogen-propulsion technology.
The UK Zero Emissions Development Corporation (ZEDC) will benefit from the UK Government’s recent pledge to provide £685 million in funding to the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) over the next three years to encourage the development of zero-carbon and ultra-low-emission aircraft technology.
“Establishing the ZEDC in the UK expands Airbus’ in-house industrial capabilities to design, develop, test and manufacture cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks and related systems for the ZEROe project across Airbus’ four home countries. This, coupled with our partnership with ATI, will allow us to leverage our respective expertise to realize the potential of hydrogen technology to support the decarbonization of the aviation industry,” said Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer.
Technology development has already begun at the new UK ZEDC, which will be located in Filton, Bristol, and will encompass the full product capabilities, from components to whole system and cryogenic testing. The development of end-to-end fuel systems, a specialty of Airbus in the United Kingdom, is one of the most difficult technologies essential to the performance of a future hydrogen aircraft.
The ZEDC complements Airbus’ existing Research and Technology footprint in the United Kingdom, as well as the work on cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks being conducted at Airbus’ existing ZEDCs in Madrid, Spain and Stade, Germany (composite structure technologies), as well as in Nantes, France and Bremen, Germany (navigation technologies) (metallic structural technologies). All Airbus ZEDCs are anticipated to be fully functional and available for ground testing with the first fully functional cryogenic hydrogen tank in 2023, and flight testing to commence in 2026.
With this new facility, Airbus reaffirms its long-term commitment to remaining a major player in Britain’s world-leading aerospace ecosystem, collaborating with the Jet Zero Council to advance research in the sector, support green jobs, and assist the United Kingdom in achieving its ambitious net-zero goals.
The start of the UK ZEDC follows the June 2021 opening of the £40 million AIRTeC research and testing facility in Filton, jointly sponsored by the ATI and Airbus to produce the next generation of aircraft wing, landing-gear system, and fuel system designs.
