Sustainability and Environment
Airbus Reports ‘Great Progress’ on H2-powered Aircraft
Airbus has also started to trial in-flight auxiliary power entirely generated by hydrogen.
Airbus hydrogen chart

Airbus has launched a demonstrator program to explore a new architecture for the generation of non-propulsive energy (NPE) by replacing the APU in an A330 widebody with a hydrogen fuel cell system that will generate electricity. Known as HyPower, the hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator also aims to reduce CO2 emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and noise levels associated with a traditional APU. 

NPE, which generally accounts for about 5 percent of the aircraft’s power needs, traditionally comes from the kerosene-powered APU. “Replacing kerosene [needed by the APU] by H2 fuel cells could be very promising for an aircraft powered by fuel cells,” noted Airbus chief technical officer Sabine Klauke. 

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