World-first liquid-hydrogen refuelling at Christchurch Airport

A New Zealand–Australian consortium has completed what it says is a world-first liquid-hydrogen refuelling of composite aviation tanks at an international airport, paving the way for zero emission aviation.

Christchurch-based Fabrum, together with aircraft developers AMSL Aero (Sydney) and Stralis Aircraft (Brisbane), successfully filled new lightweight composite onboard tanks with liquid hydrogen produced and stored on site at Christchurch Airport’s renewable-energy precinct. The refuelling was carried out at Fabrum’s dedicated liquid-hydrogen test facility.

Fabrum managing director Christopher Boyle says the demonstration shows all critical elements are now in place.

“Our lightweight composite tanks, together with our hydrogen liquefier and refuelling systems, are critical enablers for hydrogen-powered flight.

“By bringing all the elements together for the first time on site at an international airport – producing, storing, and dispensing liquid hydrogen into composite aviation tanks as a fuel – we’re proving that liquid-hydrogen technologies for aircraft are now available and that hydrogen-electric flight will soon be a reality in Australasia,” Boyle says.

AMSL Aero chief executive Dr Adriano Di Pietro says the company’s Vertiia hydrogen-electric eVTOL requires the energy density only liquid hydrogen can deliver.

“Vertiia is the world’s first eVTOL designed from inception to be powered by hydrogen for long-range, cargo and passenger operations.

“Vertiia must be as light as possible to achieve its 1000 km range, 500kg payload and 300 km/h cruising speed. Liquid hydrogen is the lightest zero-emission method of storing energy for long-distance flight; no other technology currently comes close. 

“We often get asked, ‘You are flying Vertiia and are developing an end-to-end hydrogen system, but what else needs to happen to make Vertiia fly on liquid hydrogen?’ Today, with Fabrum, we have demonstrated the key steps in that process: from producing liquid hydrogen, to filling our ground transport container, then filling the tanks that we will install to our aircraft before our first liquid hydrogen flights next year. This is a major milestone.”

Stralis Aircraft chief executive Bob Criner says the test proves out refuelling systems for its fixed-wing programme.

“It’s fantastic to see more of Fabrum’s hydrogen technologies unveiled and tested… This is a vital step toward our first liquid hydrogen test flights.”

Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson says the airport aims to support zero-emission aviation. “It’s fantastic to welcome aviation industry leaders paving the way for a transition to a low-emissions future here at the airport… positioning the airport to support liquid-hydrogen aviation.”

Fabrum showed a triple-skin composite liquid-hydrogen tank it says delivers up to 70% faster refuelling and an 80% reduction in boil-off losses compared with conventional double-skin designs. The event also highlighted cryogenic Dewars for ground storage and aircraft integration by AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft.

Stralis says its first liquid-hydrogen test flight is expected to take off in Australasia within six months.