Liebherr to explore new technologies for hydrogen-powered aircraft

Liebherr-Aerospace is collaborating with Airbus to facilitate the development of the world's first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035. Liebherr-Aerospace, as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), is responsible for creating an air supply system specifically designed for the fuel cell that will power Airbus's demonstrator aircraft.

In the initial phase of the project, Liebherr-Aerospace has already designed and delivered a functional air supply system demonstrator with a power capacity of 1 MW. This demonstrator is currently installed in Airbus's testing facilities.

In the ongoing second phase of the project, Liebherr-Aerospace aims to design and qualify a safety-of-flight air supply demonstrator. This demonstrator will be specifically engineered to withstand the integration challenges within an operational environment that closely resembles the propulsion system. The purpose of this demonstrator is to support a flight test campaign that will demonstrate the performance of a fuel cell propulsion system under real-world conditions by the mid-2020s.

Dr. Nathalie Duquesne, Managing Director at Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS, expressed their satisfaction in supporting Airbus's ambitious project. As Liebherr's center of excellence for air management systems, they continuously invest in research and development to offer innovative technological solutions to their customers. Liebherr's systems and components are already present on board various Airbus aircraft, and their participation in this groundbreaking program signifies their commitment to transforming aviation towards a sustainable future.