ZeroAvia and MONTE strike deal for 100 hydrogen-electric powertrains to enable zero-emission aircraft leasing
09 June 2022
ZeroAvia has signed an agreement with MONTE Aircraft Leasing (MONTE), the pioneering zero-emissions regional turboprop aircraft lessor. As part of the agreement the partners will offer aircraft leasing and financing solutions that enable operators to run zero-emission flights.
Under the deal, MONTE will purchase up to 100 ZA600 powertrains to be installed on existing and new Cessna Caravan, DHC-6 Twin Otter, Dornier 228 and HAL-228 aircraft. MONTE and ZeroAvia aim to retrofit the aircraft for clients starting in 2024 and will provide and finance maintenance and hydrogen availability services to support these operations. The deal will make ZeroAvia MONTE’s exclusive hydrogen-electric powertrain provider for these aircraft.
ZeroAvia’s ZA600 powertrain—ZeroAvia’s market entry, 600kW system, designed to support 5-20 seat airframes by 2024—uses gaseous hydrogen stored onboard in lightweight tanks. The hydrogen feeds fuel cell stacks that generate power by converting hydrogen into electricity.
ZeroAvia will soon flight test the ZA600 powertrain in a retrofitted Dornier 228. In the initial testing configuration, the aircraft testbed will fly with one hydrogen-electric powertrain on one wing, while keeping the stock engine on the other wing to ensure safe testing conditions. The testing program will then sequentially move to full hydrogen-electric flight, ultimately working towards a certifiable hydrogen-electric powertrain as the sole propulsion source for the categories of airframes included in this deal with MONTE.
The work to develop ZA600 up to a certifiable configuration is part of the HyFlyer II project, in part supported by the UK Government through the ATI program.
Based in the UK and USA, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for its two-prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA, passed significant flight test milestones, secured a number of key partnerships with major aircraft OEMs and major global airlines, and is on track for commercial operations in 2024. The company’s expanding UK operations are supported by grants from UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, and ZeroAvia is part of the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council.
MONTE is exclusively focused on supporting the aviation industry’s transition to net zero carbon emissions by providing financing and leasing solutions for zero-emission technologies to regional aircraft operators. MONTE has a goal of becoming the first carbon neutral aircraft leasing company in the world by 2027.
Comments