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Airbus has pushed back its target for developing a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft, citing slower-than-anticipated technological advancements.
The ambitious plan, championed by CEO Guillaume Faury, had initially aimed for a mid-2030s launch. This delay represents a significant setback for the European aerospace giant’s goal of leading the aviation industry’s shift towards hydrogen fuel and reducing emissions.
While Airbus has not yet announced a revised timeline, reports indicate a substantial delay.
According to the Force Ouvriere union, staff were informed that the necessary technology is lagging five to ten years behind the schedule required to meet the original 2035 target. This technological gap necessitates a reassessment of the project’s timeline, potentially pushing the launch into the 2040s. The delay underscores the challenges inherent in developing and implementing such groundbreaking technology within the aviation sector.
“Hydrogen has the potential to be a transformative energy source for aviation,” Airbus said in an emailed statement.
“However, we recognise that developing a hydrogen ecosystem – including infrastructure, production, distribution and regulatory frameworks – is a huge challenge requiring global collaboration and investment.”
Airbus officials have acknowledged the plan to produce a hydrogen-powered plane – most likely a turboprop – for 100 people was only ever expected to make a marginal contribution to the sector’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050, but argued it would pave the way for greater adoption in future.
The aviation industry is instead relying mainly on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for its environmental efforts, while arguing that supplies from energy firms remain scarce.
Analysts have also credited the eye-catching project with helping to allay political concerns over the impact of aviation on emissions in some European countries, while unlocking much-needed funding for the sector during the COVID-19 crisis.
Airbus‘ Faury has consistently maintained, however, that hydrogen will work its way into the aviation ecosystem in some form in coming decades and that Europe should take a lead.
The initiative contrasts with a more sceptical approach from Boeing BA.N, which voiced concerns about safety implications and technical readiness at last year’s Farnborough Airshow.
Some environmental groups argue hydrogen would still come at an environmental cost because of the energy used to produce it.
The decision to suspend the hydrogen project, dubbed ZEROe, comes a week after Airbus Helicopters scrapped plans to build an urban mobility vehicle called CityAirbus NextGen due to uncertainty over developments in battery technology.
Source: independent.co.uk
