Engines
Germany Backs Plans for Hydrogen-powered Regional Airliners
Balis 2.0 project focuses on fuel cell integration
Balis 2.0 project team
Leaders from Germany's Digital and Transport ministry, H2Fly, Diehl, and the German Aerospace Center announced around $10 million in federal funding for the Balis 2.0 project to produce a megawatt-class hydrogen-electric powertrain for regional airliners.

The German government’s Digital and Transport department is backing the new Balis 2.0 project to develop hydrogen-powered regional airliners with €9.3 million ($10 million) in funding. The program, which is led by H2Fly and Diehl Aerospace, is aiming to start ground testing 350-kilowatt fuel cells in 2025.

According to the program partners, the fuel cell technology they are working on is expected to form the basis for new hydrogen-electric powertrains in the megawatt class that could power aircraft carrying between 40 and 80 passengers. The funding announced during an event at Stuttgart Airport, where the work is being conducted, covers the rest of this year through the end of 2026. It is sourced from the federal government’s German Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is part of the European Union’s European Recovery and Resilience Facilities.