British-American hydrogen-electric aircraft developer ZeroAvia has won a new order for 30 ZA2000 powertrains, which will be retrofitted into De Havilland Dash-8 turboprops of the Anchorage-based airline, Ravn Alaska.
In an attempt to launch zero-emission flights for small communities in Alaska, Ravn Alaska placed an order for 30 of ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 powertrains. According to ZeroAvia, the modular powertrains are designed to power turboprop planes with up to 90 seats and with up to 7,000 shaft horsepower. They should help the airline to reconvert its existing De Havilland Dash-8 turboprops into a zero-emission aircraft fleet starting from 2026.
The manufacturer estimates that the ZA2000 is capable of operating fligths traveling up to 500 nautical miles, meaning that Ravn Alaska should be able to fly on its most popular routes with zero emissions in the next four years.
“Alaska represents the challenge facing the aviation industry writ large – air travel provides the vital connectivity that Alaskans so desperately need, but at the same time, the impacts of climate change on the breathtaking landscape are starkly visible,” ZeroAvia chief executive Val Miftakhov said.
“With its ample renewable energy supply and network of airfields, the state is the perfect place for some of the world’s earliest hydrogen-electric, zero-emission routes,” the CEO added.
The hydrogen-electric aircraft manufacturer is also focused on the development of another 600kW powertrain, which will be capable of powering planes with up to 19 seats in 2024.
The carrier’s chief executive Rob McKinney explained that Ravn Alaska’s commitment to ZeroAvia‘s powertrains represents the company’s goal to become one of the first airlines to bring hydrogen-electric propulsion to Alaskan skies as soon as the Federal Aviation Administration certifiies the associated technologies for the US market.