Skies the limit: Intelligent Energy secures £17m programme to power zero-emission hydrogen flight

Leading UK hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer Intelligent Energy has secured a £17 million programme to fast-track the development of a new zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell system that could be powering commercial aircraft within the decade.

The award will support Project HEIGHTS – a three-year drive to develop Intelligent Energy’s (IE) current 300kW modular aviation fuel cell platform for use in next-generation aircraft.

The project marks a major step forward for IE and its fuel cell technology offers significant environmental and economic benefits to the aviation sector.

IE’s new fuel cell system, IE-FLIGHT™ 300, is expected to enter early service by the end of the decade. ©Intelligent Energy

IE CEO David Woolhouse 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 addresses the key challenge with traditional fuel cell systems – how to keep the fuel cells at the correct operating temperature without introducing significant aircraft drag from cooling systems.

In aviation particularly, minimising the heat exchanger size is critical to reduce mass and drag, and to optimise overall efficiency.

IE’s patented direct water-injection technology uses air-cooled condensers with a smaller frontal area than conventional liquid glycol radiators. In Project HEIGHTS, IE will further develop this novel cooling method to achieve a significant reduction in heat exchanger size.

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 £17 million award programme is from the ATI Programme, a partnership between the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), the Department for Business & Trade and Innovate UK.

The investment comes as aviation faces rising pressure to cut emissions. Batteries remain constrained by weight and range, while hydrogen-electric propulsion is gaining traction as a cleaner, scalable alternative.

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.

HEIGHTS – which stands for Hydrogen Efficient fuel cell Integrated in a High Temperature System – builds on IE’s previous involvement in H2GEAR, a separate ATI-backed programme led by GKN Aerospace. It leverages the company’s extensive aviation experience, including powering the world’s first manned fuel cell flight with Boeing in 2008.

For more information, visit www.intelligent-energy.com.