Above: Fabrum, Stralis Aircraft, AMSL Aero and Christchurch International Airport representatives.

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New Zealand and Australian firms developing liquid-hydrogen technologies have made a major step toward Australasia’s first hydrogen-electric flights and zero-emission aviation.

Fabrum, AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft have, for the first time, filled aviation tanks with on-site produced and stored liquid hydrogen at an international airport, ahead of pre-flight testing.

Fabrum designed and built advanced composite liquid-hydrogen tanks for AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft, completing refuelling at its Christchurch Airport test facility, developed with the airport’s renewable energy precinct.

A major milestone

Christopher Boyle, managing director of Christchurch-based Fabrum, says: “Our lightweight composite tanks, together with our hydrogen liquefier and refuelling systems, are critical enablers for hydrogen-powered flight.

“By bringing all the elements together for the first time on site at an international airport – producing, storing and dispensing liquid hydrogen into composite aviation tanks as a fuel – we’re proving that liquid-hydrogen technologies for aircraft are now available and that hydrogen-electric flight will soon be a reality in Australasia.”

Dr Adriano Di Pietro, CEO of Sydney-based AMSL Aero, the developer of the hydrogen-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft Vertiia, says: “Vertiia is the world’s first eVTOL designed from inception to be powered by hydrogen for long-range, cargo and passenger operations. 

“Vertiia must be as light as possible to achieve its 1,000 km range, 500kg payload and 300 km/h cruising speed. Liquid hydrogen is the lightest zero-emission method of storing energy for long-distance flight. No other technology currently comes close.

“We often get asked, ‘You are flying Vertiia and are developing an end-to-end hydrogen system, but what else needs to happen to make Vertiia fly on liquid hydrogen?’

“Today, with Fabrum, we have demonstrated the key steps in that process. From producing liquid hydrogen, to filling our ground transport container, then filling the tanks that we will install to our aircraft before our first liquid hydrogen flights next year. This is a major milestone,” Di Pietro adds.

Hydrogen power, ready to fly

Bob Criner, CEO of Brisbane-based Stralis Aircraft, says: “It’s fantastic to see more of Fabrum’s hydrogen technologies unveiled and tested.

“We are working with Fabrum to develop onboard tanks for our fixed-wing test aircraft to supply hydrogen to our hydrogen-electric propulsion system. We’re excited to see Fabrum’s hydrogen fuel dispensing systems for these onboard tanks proven out in testing. This is a vital step toward our first liquid hydrogen test flights.”

Christchurch Airport CEO Justin Watson says, “It’s fantastic to welcome aviation industry leaders paving the way for a transition to a low-emissions future here at the airport. Christchurch Airport continues to play a leadership role in advancing zero-emission infrastructure, positioning the airport to support liquid-hydrogen aviation.”

Pioneering liquid hydrogen technologies unveiled

Boyle says that Fabrum, AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft are demonstrating that liquid-hydrogen fuel is a credible alternative for the aviation industry. The liquid-hydrogen technologies and aviation projects at the testing event included:

• Fabrum – triple-skin aviation fuel tanks: Fabrum unveiled a triple-skin composite onboard tank for aviation applications at its airport test facility. Fabrum’s composite manufacturing techniques are the culmination of over two decades of research and development in the fields of cryogenics and composites. Its proprietary triple-skin liquid hydrogen tank technology provides enhanced thermal insulation and fast refuelling compared to conventional double-skin tank designs, delivering up to 70% faster refuelling times and an 80% reduction in boil-off losses during refuelling.

• AMSL Aero – liquid-hydrogen storage Dewar and onboard aviation fuel tanks: AMSL Aero received composite onboard aviation tanks developed by Fabrum, which will be installed on its Vertiia aircraft for long-range flights. The cryogenic Dewar stores liquid hydrogen, which has a boiling point far below room temperature. Using hydrogen, Vertiia will achieve optimal range, payload and speed.

• Stralis Aircraft – liquid-hydrogen storage Dewar and onboard aviation fuel tanks: Stralis Aircraft is expanding its hydrogen technology portfolio with the procurement of a cryogenic Dewar for storing and refuelling liquid hydrogen. This complements the onboard liquid hydrogen tanks and fuel system. The company’s lightweight hydrogen-electric propulsion system will be powered by liquid hydrogen from Fabrum’s cryogenic aviation tanks, which are mounted on the wings of Stralis’ fixed-wing test aircraft. Stralis expects its hydrogen-electric propulsion system to enable travel up to ten times farther than battery-electric alternatives and reduce operational costs by 20–50% compared to fossil fuels. Its first hydrogen test flight is expected to take off in Australasia within six months.

Industry collaboration

These hydrogen advancements stem from strong industry collaboration aimed at accelerating zero-emission aviation.

Fabrum, AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft are members of the Hydrogen Flight Alliance in Australia, which is advancing the development of hydrogen-electric flight.

AMSL Aero was recently awarded a grant from the Australian Government Department of Industry, Cooperative Research Centres Projects Program for a ‘Liquid Hydrogen Powered Aircraft for Regional and Remote Australia’ project, with Fabrum among the collaborators.

Stralis Aircraft and Fabrum have also received support from Ara Ake, New Zealand’s future energy centre, to fast-track hydrogen technology for Australasia’s first liquid-hydrogen-powered flight.