A Sunderland-based hydrogen pump maker has signed a deal to supply kit to ZeroAvia, the US start-up developing a zero-emission hydrogen-electric passenger plane.
Haskel, based close to a growing hub of hydrogen companies in the North East, makes the pumps needed to pressurise hydrogen and get it into fuel tanks.
It is this technology being supplied to ZeroAvia, which recently won the backing of United Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
As well as aviation, hydrogen could be used in lorries whose weight rules out using battery technology, said Stephen Learney of Haskel.
“Once you get to a certain size of vehicle, the weight of the batteries themselves outweigh the value of electrifying the vehicle, so there is a transition point where batteries just aren’t going to do the job,” he said.
Even quick battery charging will probably not be fast enough for the haulage industry, Mr Learney…
Sunderland company strikes deal with hydrogen-powered plane pioneer
