The Government has announced new multi-million pound grants for three Arc-based aerospace projects to help the aviation industry build back greener.
Nearly 5,000 jobs could be secured in making the UK’s aviation sector greener, thanks to the multi-million-pound boost for the three pioneering research and development projects to be delivered by GKN Aerospace in Luton, Cranfield-based ZeroAvia, and Blue Bear Systems Research, in Thurleigh, Bedfordshire.
The winning projects represent a total investment of £84.6 million – half from the government, delivered through the ATI Programme, and matched by industry.
Each of the projects will use British innovation and expertise in green technology to power zero-emissions flights, using alternative energy sources of hydrogen or electricity to reduce the industry’s reliance on polluting fossil fuels.
GKN Aerospace-led project H2GEAR will receive a £27.2 million government grant to develop an innovative liquid hydrogen propulsion system (a component that propels the aircraft forward) for regional air travel, which could be scaled up for larger aircraft and longer journeys
ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer II will receive a £12.3 million government grant to scale up its zero-emissions engines for demonstration on a 19-seater aircraft, showcasing its significant technological advances, meaning that customers can expect to fly on zero-emissions aircraft as early as the end of 2023
InCEPTion, led by Blue Bear Systems Research, is receiving a £2.8 million government grant to develop a fully-electrified zero-emissions propulsion system for aircraft, that is powerful, quiet and efficient and could be used for smaller aircraft travelling short distances – even within the same city
