MTU advances hydrogen fuel cell engine for zero-emission aviation

MTU Aero Engines has reached a series of key milestones in the development of its Flying Fuel Cell™ propulsion system, bringing its hydrogen-powered aircraft engine technology closer to commercial reality and strengthening Europe’s ambitions for zero-emission aviation.

The German aerospace manufacturer announced that it has successfully completed testing of the central hydrogen and air supply systems for the Flying Fuel Cell, allowing the programme to move into the next phase of integrated system testing. The company is also deepening its partnership with Airbus through a planned joint venture and has renewed its certification collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The latest achievements mark an important step in the maturation of MTU’s hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technology, which is being developed as a zero-emission alternative for future regional aircraft.

Following the successful validation of its liquid hydrogen fuel system, MTU has now completed testing of the Fuel Cell Hydrogen System, which supplies gaseous hydrogen to the fuel cell under demanding operating conditions. The company also confirmed that performance testing and validation of its air supply system had been completed at its Munich facility, with both systems now approved for integration into the next stage of development.

Attention is now turning to the construction and testing of full system demonstrators. MTU is assembling its first near-production 350-kilowatt fuel cell stack alongside a complete propulsion system demonstrator, allowing engineers to evaluate how the individual components, subsystems and control functions operate together under simulated flight conditions.

Testing of both demonstrators is scheduled to begin later this year at MTU’s new fuel cell test facilities in Munich. The company said the trials will provide critical performance data to support the development of a future aircraft propulsion system and help validate technologies for larger-scale applications.

MTU is also making progress through the European Clean Aviation-funded HEROPS (Hydrogen-Electric Zero Emission Propulsion System) research programme, which is focused on developing hydrogen-electric propulsion for regional aircraft expected to enter service from 2035.

With the design phase now complete, the project is moving into technology validation. At the heart of the programme is a 1.8-megawatt propulsion system being developed by MTU, designed to demonstrate that the modular technology can be scaled to power outputs of between two and four megawatts for future commercial aircraft.

Alongside technical development, MTU and Airbus are accelerating plans to industrialise hydrogen fuel cell propulsion. Earlier this month, the companies announced plans to deepen their collaboration through a joint venture that will oversee the full lifecycle of hydrogen-powered propulsion systems, including development, testing, production, certification, market introduction and customer support.

Dr Stefan Weber, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology at MTU, described the project as a crucial milestone towards delivering a safe, reliable and commercially viable hydrogen propulsion system capable of supporting climate-neutral aviation. He said the collaboration represents an important example of European technological leadership in sustainable aerospace.

MTU has also renewed its long-standing innovation partnership with EASA, extending a collaboration that has been underway for five years to establish the regulatory framework required to certify hydrogen fuel cell aircraft engines.

The partnership allows certification requirements to be incorporated into the technology’s development from an early stage, helping prepare the Flying Fuel Cell for future type approval. As hydrogen propulsion remains a new area for both manufacturers and regulators, MTU said close cooperation with EASA will be essential in creating certification standards for the next generation of zero-emission aircraft.

The latest milestones reinforce MTU’s position at the forefront of hydrogen aviation technology as the aerospace industry intensifies efforts to develop alternative propulsion systems capable of delivering net zero air travel in the decades ahead.