ZeroAvia plans to build hydrogen fuel cell powertrains at a new manufacturing plant in central Scotland close to Glasgow airport.
The advanced propulsion developer says the plant at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) site will serve as its Hydrogen Centre of Excellence.
It will support the company with a range of manufacturing operations and testing and will also be ZeroAvia’s primary location for production of high-temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks and supporting systems.
ZeroAvia will receive a £9 million ($12 million) grant from Scottish Enterprise to assist with the construction of the facility, which is forecast to create 350 jobs.
That grant builds on a £20 million investment in the company from the Scottish National Investment Bank as part of ZeroAvia’s Series C funding round, alongside the UK National Wealth Fund which contributed a further £32 million.
ZeroAvia claims it has orders worth $10 billion for its engines and supporting components from airlines and OEMs.
“Scotland has some unique advantages for ZeroAvia with strong aerospace and engineering skills, a burgeoning hydrogen sector and a clear aviation strategy with potential for early adoption of zero-emission flights,” says Val Miftakhov, founder and chief executive of ZeroAvia.
“The aviation industry is on the cusp of the biggest transformation since the advent of the jet age, with entirely new propulsion systems set to power the next era of aviation – cleaner flights, better economics and better experiences for all.”
ZeroAvia intends to build electric motors and power electronics at its Propulsion Center of Excellence in Everett, Washington State.
Certification of the 600kW ZA600 powertrain is being sought from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, with service entry foreseen in late 2026 or early 2027.
ZeroAvia recently revealed UK East Midlands airport-based RVL Aviation would be its launch customer for the system aboard a modified Cessna Caravan cargo aircraft.
It is also working on the more powerful ZA2000 system which will be suitable for regional aircraft with 40-80 seats. It says the HTPEM technology slated for the Scottish site will be essential for higher-power applications.
