Developing novel propulsion technologies has proven more challenging than expected, leaving Embraer’s chief engineer now predicting his team would need until 2040 to bring a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered aircraft to market.
Embraer previously predicted its concept for such an aircraft could be ready by 2035. But on 18 November, the Brazilian company’s vice-president of engineering and technology development Luis Carlos Affonso said the technical hurdles will require more time to overcome.
“Our fuel cell, hydrogen-powered airplane… we used to say could be ready by 2035. We now say more towards 2040,” Affonso says during Embraer’s investor day in New York City. “There is a little shift towards the right, given the natural challenges of technology development, be it batteries, be it fuel cells.”
Embraer is studying possible development of a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered aircraft, and other low-emission types, under its Energia project, which it revealed in 2021. Energia does not include any formally launched aircraft development programmes and is separate from subsidiary Eve’s development of an electric air taxi.
Energia initially included four conceptual aircraft: two nine-passenger types (one hybrid-electric, one all-electric), one 19-seater powered by hydrogen fuel cells, and one 35-50 seater with hydrogen-burning engines.
The company has since tweaked the line up twice, ditching the nine seaters and the all-electric powertrain and focusing on larger aircraft. The Energia family now encompasses 19-50-seat aircraft powered by three types of propulsion: hybrid-electric, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-burning turbines.
“These technologies have proved to be tougher than previously expected”, Affonso said on 18 November, adding that battery and hydrogen systems did not “evolve” as quickly as hoped.
He says Embraer continues advancing the Energia concepts. But Affonso also leaves open the possibility that Embraer’s focus could shift, saying the Energia studies will ensure Embraer “is ready when the time comes, if this is the company’s strategy in the future”.
His comments reflects the height of the mountain aerospace companies must climb if they are to develop, integrate, certificate and bring to market new forms of producing airborne thrust.
Embraer is far from alone in its quest. Airbus is also studying hydrogen-powered aircraft, and numerous smaller airframers and aerospace start-ups insist hydrogen and hybrid-electric are key to a low-carbon aerospace future.
The mountain has already proved too steep for some players, including Universal Hydrogen, which had been developing a hydrogen-powered turboprop and hydrogen-fuel distribution system before running out of cash and closing shop earlier this year.
