ZeroAvia to deliver Hydrogen-Electric engines for Ravn Alaska’s passenger jets by 2026
Alaskan airline Ravn Alaska has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ZeroAvia to procure 30 ZA2000 hydrogen-electric propulsion powertrains for its passenger aircraft to enable zero-emission flights.
Ravn intends to retrofit the ZeroAvia powertrains in its fleet of De Havilland Dash-8 jets that serve the rural communities in Alaska.
ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 is a 2 to 5 megawatt (3,000–7,000 shaft horsepower) modular powertrain engineered for 40–90 seat turboprop jets, covering journeys of around 500 nautical miles. Those flights are expected to begin by 2026.
The deal with Ravn Alaska comes as ZeroAvia gets accepted into the Launch Alaska program – a non-profit deployment accelerator that aims to help climate tech innovators grow in Alaska, which is a strategically important state for early adoption of hydrogen-electric flights given its dependence on air travel and abundance of renewable energy resources that could be leveraged for generation of green hydrogen.
“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,” Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO at ZeroAvia, 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.”
Additionally, ZeroAvia is also working on getting its 600kW powertrain certified for operation on 9–19 seat aircraft by 2024.
In the past few weeks, ZeroAvia has signed a series of new engine deals with companies such as aircraft lessor Monte, aircraft startup Otto Aviation, fuel supply partners Shell and ZEV Station and aerospace component manufacturer MHI RJ Aviation, with the Ravn deal driving the momentum of commercial partnerships.
