Intelligent Energy, a leading UK hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer has secured £17 million in government-backed funding to accelerate the development of its next-generation hydrogen electric propulsion system, a move that could see zero-emission commercial aircraft take flight within the decade.
The funding, awarded through the UK Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme in collaboration with the Department for Business & Trade and Innovate UK, will support the company’s Project named HEIGHTS. It is a three-year initiative focusing on refining Intelligent Energy’s 300kW modular hydrogen fuel cell platform known as IE-FLIGHT 300 for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and short-haul commuter planes. If widely adopted, Intelligent Energy estimates hydrogen fuel cell systems could help the aviation industry cut carbon emissions by up to 25.6 million tonnes annually.
A key innovation under Project HEIGHTS is heat management. The company’s patented direct water-injection technique enables the use of compact air-cooled condensers, reducing both the weight and drag typically associated with conventional liquid-cooled radiators. “This programme is about getting hydrogen-powered aircraft in the air and into service at scale, as quickly as possible,” said David Woolhouse, CEO of Intelligent Energy.
The HEIGHTS initiative builds on Intelligent Energy’s prior work with the ATI-backed H2GEAR project led by GKN Aerospace and on the company’s long-standing aviation credentials, including powering the world’s first manned fuel cell flight with Boeing in 2008.
The firm is also expanding its domestic capabilities, with a new £7.1 million fuel cell testing and validation centre set to open in Northamptonshire this summer, complementing its Loughborough headquarters.
The ATI welcomed the move as a strategic step toward delivering on the UK’s net-zero aviation ambitions. “Hydrogen as a fuel source is an essential part of the ATI’s technology roadmap,” said Jacqueline Castle, CTO at the ATI.
Project HEIGHTS brings together several UK research and manufacturing heavyweights. The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) will support simulation, design, and electrical engineering. Coventry University will contribute expertise in electrochemical systems, while the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) will apply cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques to help reduce component size and weight.
Unlike hydrogen combustion or sustainable aviation fuels, fuel cells emit only water vapour, offering a truly zero-emission alternative.
With the total market opportunity for hydrogen-electric aircraft systems pegged at £19.6 billion and the potential to create up to 1,600 new jobs, the HEIGHTS project represents a high-stakes play in the future of flight — and a vote of confidence in the UK’s clean aviation industry.
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