Stralis tests hydrogen fuel tech in New Zealand

Co-founder and CTO of Stralis Aircraft, Stuart Johnstone, said: “We are proud to be working with Air New Zealand to test our unique fuel cell technology in their engine test facility”.

“New Zealand is an ideal location to develop, test and adopt emission-free aircraft technology, so it is a great place to build capability and understanding,” he said.

This new testing aims to generate data for Stralis to better understand the degradation mechanisms and rates to assess the potential lifespan of the emerging technologies. The company said a long lifespan for HTPEM fuel cells is integral to maximising engine maintenance savings for airlines.

Stralis said its technology has “significant benefits” for airlines, airports, and customers, including reduced noise, zero emissions, and up to half of the current operational costs of current technologies. HTPEM fuel cell technology is also much lighter and can allow aircraft to fly up to 10 times further than battery-electric green tech solutions.

The proposed hydrogen electric propulsion system works through electricity being supplied to an electric propeller motor via an HTPEM cell. This cell then undergoes an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, thus generating power. The only emissions from this process are water vapour. Stralis said these systems can be used “for aircraft battery replacement, retrofit airframes, new clean sheet designs or even as auxiliary power units onboard larger aircraft”.

Matthew Connolly, sustainability lead at Air New Zealand, said the testing with Stralis is “another step in our collective learning about new technologies, future engine propulsion, and new ways that aircraft will fly people and goods in a lower-carbon future”.

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“We believe Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), hydrogen and electricity will all be critical parts of a future aviation eco-system, and we’re proud to be supporting the innovation that Stralis is testing here in New Zealand,” he said.

With Australia being a part of the more than 190 countries committed to net zero emissions by 2050, Stralis said hydrogen-electric propulsion is “one solution that can genuinely reduce CO2 and non-CO2 emissions”.

“Considering both emissions reduction and aircraft performance in terms of range and power, hydrogen-electric aircraft offer a credible alternative,” the company said.

Last year, Stralis completed a successful ground-based propeller test of a hydrogen power train at Brisbane Airport and is looking to operate its first hydrogen test flight this year.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has firmed up as a power source for clean aviation, with rival electric aircraft firm Dovetail having demonstrated a powertrain in Spain in 2024, while AMSL Aero has tested hydrogen for its Vertiia electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at Bankstown Airport in Sydney.