AECC tests megawatt hydrogen turboprop engine |

Aircraft Engine Corporation of China (AECC) successfully completed the flight of a megawatt hydrogen turboprop engine. The aircraft, a 7.5-tonne unmanned cargo aircraft, was powered by the new AEP100 hydrogen-fueled turboprop and took off from an Airport in Zhuzhou, in central China’s Hunan province. Hunan is the home of AECC’s Aviation Powerplant Research Institute. [caption id="attachment_190328" align="aligncenter" width="529"] image: CCTV[/caption] The aircraft flew 36km in its maiden flight, reaching a speed of 220kph and an altitude of 300 meters, returning safely in what was described as a routine flight. Video of the flight can be found here. This represents the potential for the successful introduction of hydrogen-powered unmanned and light cargo aircraft, which will be more environmentally sound than existing conventional propulsion models. AECC experts said that the successful test flight means they will move technological development to engineering application of the new domestically built engine. Since hydrogen power needs a different supply chain than other fuels, this new technology is a potential long-term solution. In the interim, the technology will drive coordinated upgrades across a new supply chain, from green-hydrogen production and midstream storage to refueling infrastructure and suppliers providing the new infrastructure required for China’s aviation industry. Unfortunately, it cannot provide immediate relief during a fuel crisis caused by the Israeli-US war with Iran, but it can support domestic self-sufficiency in the future. AECC believes that as production costs continue to decline, the economic and energy-security advantages of hydrogen-powered aviation will gradually become more apparent. But this is a first step, with initial use in low-altitude sectors such as unmanned cargo transport and island logistics, before gradually expanding to regional and eventually trunk passenger aircraft. This is a successful first step on a long-term path to greener aviation in China. The Bottom Line China has strong incentives to reduce dependence on foreign oil, and its successful research into a megawatt-class hydrogen-powered turboprop will provide a step-by-step process for developing hydrogen alternatives to the "fossil fuels" it must import. Their successful test illustrates that long-term options for greener aviation may align with China's geopolitical aspirations for energy self-sufficiency. With a long-term strategy, China could take the lead in developing the infrastructure necessary for hydrogen-powered aviation over the next few decades.

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