Masdar Collaborates with ZeroAvia for Hydrogen Aviation Fuel Venture

A partnership agreement has been signed between Masdar, the leading renewable energy company of the UAE, and ZeroAvia, a developer of hydrogen-electric aircraft.

Masdar, the premier renewable energy company in the UAE, has entered into a partnership agreement with ZeroAvia, a developer of hydrogen-electric aircraft, with the goal of exploring hydrogen production and supply in strategic locations.

Initially, this collaboration between Masdar and ZeroAvia will focus on projects in North America and Europe. Additionally, they are exploring the potential to establish environmentally friendly flight operations within the UAE.

Masdar is positioning itself as a global leader in green hydrogen through a strategic approach, aiming to be an early mover in developing and investing in key projects and scalable platforms across significant markets. The company has set a target of achieving one million tonnes of green hydrogen production per year by 2030.

Masdar’s Green Hydrogen division is deeply involved in substantial aviation projects aimed at producing green hydrogen. This new partnership with ZeroAvia could potentially power the world’s inaugural hydrogen-powered commercial flights.

The UAE has ambitious plans to produce 1.4 million tonnes of hydrogen annually by 2031, with a future projection of 15 million tonnes by 2050, showcasing the nation’s significant aspirations. Masdar is highly committed to nurturing the UAE’s green hydrogen economy and has forged numerous global collaboration agreements with strategic partners in recent years.

ZeroAvia is collaborating with prominent energy companies to ensure the availability of fuel for its airline operators, as early as 2025. The company’s objective is to enable refueling of aircraft tanks with hydrogen at commercial airports for up to 90-seat aircraft by the end of the decade. Given that each such aircraft requires approximately a ton of hydrogen for each short regional flight, even a modest-sized commercial airport could generate demand for over a hundred tons of hydrogen daily. All of this hydrogen can be produced using a zero-emission process powered by renewable electricity.

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, expressed enthusiasm for partnering with innovative companies like ZeroAvia to drive decarbonization in challenging sectors such as aviation. As a leading force in clean energy in the UAE, Masdar is dedicated to unleashing the potential of green hydrogen to shape a more sustainable future for all.

Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, emphasized the need for significant investments in renewable energy capacity to accelerate the aviation industry’s shift to a cleaner future. The partnership with Masdar aims to bring clean propulsion technology and emissions-free fuel to airlines, ensuring a rapid transition to emissions-free flights.

ZeroAvia recently concluded a flight test campaign of its ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine on a Dornier 228 aircraft at its UK base in Kemble, Gloucestershire. Hydrogen-electric engines utilize hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which in turn powers electric motors that drive the aircraft’s propellers. The only byproduct of this process is water.