European Companies Achieve Breakthrough in Hydrogen-Electric Propulsion System

A team of 18 European companies has achieved a significant breakthrough in developing a megawatt-class hydrogen-electric propulsion system for future aircraft.

The alliance, led by Honeywell Aerospace, has successfully integrated individual subsystems into a functional hydrogen power source that can generate and supply electrical energy for an aircraft. This milestone was reached under Project NEWBORN, which launched in 2023 and is funded by the European Union through EU Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking.

The next step will be an integrated ground demonstration of the complete propulsion system, where the hydrogen power source and batteries will supply electricity to an electric motor driving an aircraft propeller. To test the hydrogen fuel-cell power source, Honeywell Aerospace developed a dedicated platform to simulate a range of functions of an actual aircraft.