Airbus hydrogen APU replacement tests aim to build a bridge for future propulsion

HyPower is not Airbus’s first foray into fuel cells for auxiliary power, but the broader push for hydrogen gives this tech demo increased relevance

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Release Date
May 15, 2024
Airbus hydrogen APU replacement tests aim to build a bridge for future propulsion
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In recent years, hydrogen has been gaining increasing momentum as an alternative fuel for aviation, with most development efforts focused on hydrogen propulsion. Players including H2Fly, Universal Hydrogen and ZeroAvia are deep into programs to develop hydrogen-powered civil aircraft, but all of them face long and daunting paths to certified products.

At the other end of the development spectrum is a more modest effort by Airbus, announced last June at the 2023 Paris Air Show, to demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell as a replacement for the auxiliary power unit (APU) on an A330. Last week brought confirmation that the project is well under way, when the startup H3 Dynamics announced its selection by Airbus UpNext to provide a customized 500-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell for the widebody technology demonstrator.

Related: Already flying on hydrogen, H2Fly sets a practical course for green aviation

Replacing an APU on a conventional jetliner isn’t as glamorous as developing a zero-emissions aircraft (which Airbus is also concurrently pursuing with its ZeroE effort). Nevertheless, this incremental step could be an important one in aviation’s broader journey to sustainability, H3 Dynamics CEO Taras Wankewycz said in an interview with The Air Current.

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Elan Head
As Senior Editor, Elan spearheads The Air Current’s coverage of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, along with a focus on emerging sustainable technologies. A commercially-rated helicopter pilot and FAA Gold Seal flight instructor, Head brings a unique vantage point to explore this critical new sector.
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Jon Ostrower
Jon Ostrower is Editor-in-chief of The Air Current, where he leads coverage of the global aerospace and aviation industries. Prior to launching TAC in June 2018, Mr. Ostrower served as Aviation Editor for CNN Worldwide, guiding the network’s global coverage of the business and operations of aviation. Mr. Ostrower joined CNN in 2016 following four and a half years at the Wall Street Journal. Based first in Chicago and then in Washington, D.C., he covered Boeing, aviation safety, and the business of global aerospace. Before that, Mr. Ostrower was editor of FlightBlogger for Flightglobal and Flight International Magazine covering the development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and other new aircraft programs from 2007 to 2012. He is also an instructor at the University of Southern California in the Viterbi School of Engineering's Aviation Safety and Security program. Mr. Ostrower, a Boston native, graduated from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs with a bachelor’s degree in Political Communication. He is based in Seattle.
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