The Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry (MITI) approved a hydrogen drone equipped with H3 Dynamics’ AEROSTAK hydrogen fuel cell technology, built by Drone Works with integration support from Nexty Electronics Co. Ltd.
The collaboration resulted in Japan’s first approved multi-rotor hydrogen fuel cell drone test flight.
The new generation hydrogen drone is fitted with a JFE Container Co. Ltd.-developed compact composite container for high-pressure hydrogen. H3 Dynamics manufactures the unique drone-compatible hydrogen fuel cell system and has initiated technological integration in Japan with Toyota Group member Toyota Tsusho Nexty Electronics.
H3 Dynamics, which has its headquarters in Tokyo, is a global corporation with offices in Singapore, Paris, Toulouse, and Austin that focuses on decarbonizing aviation, from small drones to huge airplanes. The Company recently completed a $26 million series B financing led by Mirai Creation Fund and managed by SPARX Group on behalf of Toyota and Sumitomo Banking Corporation (SMBC). The specialty fund is focused on investments in intelligent technology, robotics, and hydrogen.
Additionally, by employing lightweight hydrogen as the drone’s energy source, it is possible to fly for significantly longer periods of time than with lithium batteries. Hydrogen offers a more robust environmental alternative to promote decarbonization in increasingly large applications, particularly because hydrogen may be produced using renewable energy or municipal trash.
Utilizing hydrogen energy also contributes to the resolution of societal challenges, which aligns with the government’s aim of “achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.” The collaborating firms feel that the demonstration’s success in Japan paves the path for a broader use of hydrogen in air mobility applications.
Nexty Electronics will continue to expand its partnership with H3 Dynamics in the Japanese market. H3 Dynamics has been developing world-leading aerial mobility fuel cell systems for 15 years and recently launched its first hydrogen-powered drones, along with several air cargo platforms, including fixed-wing, VTOL, and hydrogen refueling accessories, to support zero-emission air mobility globally. H3 Dynamics was recently selected by Groupe ADP, one of the world’s major airport operators, to be a member of the Paris air mobility ecosystem, with plans to fly the region’s first hydrogen freight aircraft in early 2021.
