A Clean Aviation agreement was reached, awarding a consortium led by Avio Aero of approximately €34 million to develop the AMBER demonstrator, whose electric motor will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Avio Aero, a division of GE Aerospace, in order to support efforts to make air travel more fuel-efficient and lower CO2 emissions, has started a new technology demonstration programme. This programme will advance the development of hybrid electric propulsion technologies for commercial aviation.
In a recently concluded agreement, the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking of the European Commission awarded roughly €34 million over four years to a group led by Avio Aero for the AMBER demonstrator.
It is intended to develop, integrate, and validate key technologies required for a megawatt (MW)-class hydrogen fuel cell-powered hybrid-electric propulsion system. For rig testing in the middle of the 2020s using Avio Aero’s cutting-edge Catalyst turboprop engine, the AMBER demonstrator will research the integration of hybrid electric components—including a motor/generator, power converters, and power transmission systems—with fuel cells.
“We are proud to announce the launch of the AMBER hybrid-electric program, which aims to demonstrate the benefits of an innovative aircraft propulsion system coupling a turbine engine with a fuel cell-powered electric motor. As this shows, we’re looking to design, develop, and test breakthrough technologies to shape the future of more sustainable flight in Europe and we appreciate the collaboration with Clean Aviation to make this demonstrator possible,” said Giorgio Abrate, vice president of engineering, Avio Aero. “The recognition and awarding of our AMBER proposal by Clean Aviation confirms its strategic and technological value to support European Union ambitions to reach net-zero CO2 emissions from flight by 2050,” he further added.
Technologies for hybrid electric propulsion can enhance engine performance while lowering fuel consumption and emissions. The hybrid electric technologies Avio Aero and its parent company GE Aerospace are developing are also compatible with cutting-edge engine architectures like the open fan and alternative fuels like Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
To achieve these goals, the Clean Aviation partnership with industry helps hasten the innovation of critical technologies like electrification.
“For the transformation towards climate neutral we must do more with less energy, and aviation is no exception,”Axel Krein, executive director, Clean Aviation.“Clean Aviation’s primary ambition is to drive a step-change in aircraft performance by radically boosting efficiency in aircraft and fleet performance. For regional aircraft, our goal is an improvement of at least 50% compared to a typical flight today. The AMBER project, as one of our 20 daring new projects now underway, will play a key role in helping us to deliver this ambitious target,“ he further added.
A total of 21 members* from Europe make up the Avio Aero-led consortium, including the universities and R&D facilities that make up Avio Aero’s European technology development network. The Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Turkey, and other GE Aerospace locations in Europe will contribute to the study of the engine, propeller, and electric powertrain systems.
The MW-class fuel cell system is provided by H2FLY, a German business that specializes in creating hydrogen-electric power systems for aircraft, along with the necessary architecture, interfaces, and fuel cell controls. In conjunction with the project partners, H2FLY is also in charge of developing the MW fuel cell system as part of the powertrain validation and testing.
“The development of a megawatt-class hybrid-electric propulsion system for aviation marks an important step towards the realization of emission-free passenger aviation. We look forward to contributing to this development and sharing our expertise as a global technology leader in the field of hydrogen-electric aviation,” said Prof. Dr. Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO, H2FLY.
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Leonardo is another significant partner on the AMBER demonstrator and will offer advice on how to integrate aircraft into the configuration of the hybrid electric propulsion system.
