29 March 2022
The UK’s ‘green aerospace’ industry is to receive £685 million of government funding over the next three years.
Coupled with industry finance, more than £1 billion will support the development of zero-carbon and ultra-low-emission aircraft technology.
The UK’s aerospace technology research programme, the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), will receive £685 million from the government for the financial years 2022 to 2023 through to 2024 to 2025, an increase of £235 million on the previous three-year period.
Previous projects supported include ZeroAvia’s six-seat hydrogen-electric aircraft, and Rolls-Royce’s UltraFan, said to be the largest, most efficient aircraft engine ever.
ZeroAvia’s 19-seat hydrogen-electric project will receive some of the govt funding
Industry Minister Lee Rowley said, “Today’s commitment is a sign of our increasing ambition and will give large and small businesses the confidence to invest in the technologies that will bring civil aviation into the next generation.”
The government has also confirmed that the ATI Programme will reopen to new funding applications on Monday 4 April.
ZeroAvia will receive £24.6m over two years to scale up its hydrogen technology for use on a 19-seater aircraft, leading to a long-distance zero-emissions demonstration flight in January 2023. After that, ZeroAvia will start the certification process.
