Summary
- ASL Aviation Holdings has comitted to 20 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia.
- The company placed ten firm orders and ten options for ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric propulsion system for the ATR 72 aircraft.
- The agreement also included retrofit services for ASL’s ATR 72 freighters.
ZeroAvia and ASL Aviation Holdings have signed an agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow for up to 20 hydrogen-electric engines that would be retrofitted on ASL Aviation’s ATR 72-500F/72-600F turboprop freighters.
Ordering hydrogen-electric engines
ZeroAvia detailed that ASL Aviation Holdings, which has subsidiaries in Australia, Belgium, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, as well as holdings in joint ventures in Safair, FlySafair, K-Mile Asia, and Quikjet Airlines, has ordered up to 20 hydrogen-electric engines.
Photo: ZeroAvia
The deal includes ten firm orders and ten options, and an agreement related to retrofit services for ASL’s ATR 72 freighter fleet. According to ch-aviation data, ASL Airlines Ireland has two ATR 72-500F and nine ATR 72-600F aircraft, while ASL Airlines UK has another ATR 72-500F.
Nevertheless, James Peck, the chief customer officer (CCO) of ZeroAvia, remarked that ASL was a major player in freight and beyond, with the company now forging its pathway to a sustainable future for the industry and leading in the adoption of new, zero-emission propulsion technologies.
“Our commercial agreements are crystallizing into firmer commitments and for those looking on, that should be a clear signal of the rapid and successful technical progress we are making to deliver clean propulsion systems.”
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Building on their partnership
However, the July 23 agreement has not been the only deal between ZeroAvia and ASL. In November 2021, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop hydrogen-electric engine conversions for the ATR 72.
Photo: ZeroAvia
At the time, ZeroAvia stated that the project would ultimately include an order for the company to convert ten ATR 72 freighters to be powered by hydrogen-electric engines.
“Under the deal, ASL Airlines Ireland will provide a retired ATR72F aircraft for the program development and subsequent use as a demonstrator. ASL will then convert a number of owned aircraft on its freight operations, resulting in the launch of zero-emission hydrogen-electric powered operations for the carrier from 2026 onwards.”
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Looking for decarbonization solutions
ASL has been looking for ways to decarbonize its operations. In October 2021, the company signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Universal Hydrogen, covering a purchase agreement for up to ten hydrogen conversion kits for ATR 72 aircraft.
Photo: Universal Hydrogen
Similar to the agreement with ZeroAvia, ASL promised that it would convert its ATR 72s using Universal Hydrogen’s conversion kit while also providing an aircraft to the company to develop and certify the hydrogen propulsion solutions.
However, Universal Hydrogen ran out of funds and closed operations in June. While it has been one of the leading companies developing the technology, Universal Hydrogen had burned through the cash it received from investors, leading to the collapse of the company.
Related
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Universal Hydrogen was attempting to pioneer the use of hydrogen as aviation fuel.
