The search for alternatives to reduce polluting emissions in transport is an objective in which a large number of governments, institutions and private sector companies have been immersed for years. And it is that the consequences of climate change lead more and more people to become aware of the importance of reducing the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere.
In this sense, it is worth highlighting projects such as the one being carried out by the company ZeroAvia with its ZA600. And it is that this hydrogen electric propulsion system could mean a before and after within the operations of commercial airlines. It should be recalled that, during the summer of 2021, ZeroAvia began the first ground tests of its proprietary 600 kW hydrogen electric powertrain.
To carry them out, it used a large mobile test platform at its Californian facilities, in the United States. Since the company has its headquarters divided between the North American country and the United Kingdom, work was done on parallel projects using two aircraft. The model chosen in both cases was the Dornier 228.
From the first moment it decided to start its tests, ZeroAvia has been clear that existing passenger planes could be retrofitted with its hydrogen electric propulsion systems, with the aim of advancing zero-emission commercial flights. The ZA600 system is designed for regional flights in aircraft with between 9 and 19 seats, with a range close to 500 km.
On the other hand, ZeroAvia is also working on the ZA2000 system, a powertrain of more than 2 MW, specifically developed for aircraft with between 40 and 80 seats and a range of more than 1,100 km. In recent years, the company has carried out multiple flight tests after obtaining experimental certification of three prototypes in both the UK and the US.
During this year, it is carrying out an extensive succession of test flights with a Dornier 228 equipped with the ZA600 system. So far in 2023, ten of these flights have been carried out at the British Cotswold airport. The Dornier recently managed to break its own record for altitude and flight duration, rising to 1,524 meters and staying airborne for around 20 minutes.
This was the tenth and final flight of this phase of the project. In addition to breaking its own much-discussed records, the ZA600 system also had to withstand extreme temperature changes (going from 30 degrees Celsius to minus temperatures). In terms of speed, the Dornier 228 flew as fast as its experimental flight permit allowed.
According to ZeroAvia's plans, the first regional commercial passenger aircraft with this technology could enter service within two years, while larger planes equipped with the ZA2000 system could become operational in 2027.
It must be remembered that these systems allow existing aircraft to be reused so that they can fly thanks to hydrogen, without the need to manufacture the aircraft from scratch. This reason has already led operators in many parts of the world to place pre-orders. In fact, the company ensures that it already has almost 2,000 reservations in advance. You can see one of the test flights carried out this year in the video that accompanies this article.
