Hydrogen aviation startup ZeroAvia has signed a partnership agreement with Masdar, a major Abu Dhabi based energy firm. 

The two companies have been active in promoting green hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels and will explore opportunities to develop the hydrogen supply ecosystem through the partnership, first in Europe and the United States and then the United Arab Emirates.  

ZeroAvia is developing and testing a hydrogen-fed fuel cell powertrain for aircraft and is also working with a number of firms across the hydrogen supply chain to support the roll out of hydrogen-powered aviation. 

Masdar, in turn, aims to become one of the world’s leaders in green hydrogen production, targeting an annual production of 1 million tons by 2030.  

The UAE aims to produce 15 million tons of green hydrogen per year by 2050.  

According to data provided by ZeroAvia, a hydrogen-powered aircraft can consume around one ton of hydrogen on a typical short-haul regional flight. If hydrogen-powered aviation manages to take off in a significant way, it would become a major source of demand for this type of fuel. 

This is not the only major project Masdar has in aviation. In May 2023, the Emirati company signed a partnership with Airbus to accelerate the development of decarbonizing technologies, not just hydrogen-based, but also sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), direct carbon capture and other technologies.