Pioneering startup Universal Hydrogen closes after running out of funds – AeroTime

Aerospace hydrogen startup Universal Hydrogen has announced the closure of its operations due to running out of funds.

Founded by former Airbus CTO Paul Eremenko, Universal Hydrogen was a key player in the development of hydrogen propulsion for aircraft and raised $100 million in venture capital.

Universal Hydrogen has been working on a system to retrofit existing turboprop fleets with hydrogen fuel cells. The uniqueness of the startup’s proposal was its approach to hydrogen refueling and logistics.

The technology used in it, often compared to “Nespresso capsules”, solved the problem of the lack of ground-based hydrogen supply infrastructure at most airports. This was done by refueling the aircraft using standard hydrogen pre-filled pods that could be replaced between flights while the aircraft was on the ground.

Because of their standard containerized design, the capsules could be transported by road from the green hydrogen source to any airport where they were needed. Each cycle, the truck would deliver a full capsule and pick up an empty one for replenishment.

In March 2023, Universal Hydrogen completed its first test flight, featuring the largest hydrogen-powered aircraft to date, a modified De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300.

In addition to the Moses Lake, Washington, test facility where the flight test campaign was conducted, Universal Hydrogen also opened a research facility in Toulouse, France, where it partnered with ATR to upgrade a larger ATR-72 turboprop aircraft and install its fuel cell system.

The scrapping of Universal Hydrogen represents a major setback for the nascent hydrogen ecosystem, which, despite support from industry giants such as Airbus, still faces significant challenges in developing a viable zero-emission alternative to current technologies.