Intelligent Energy has secured £17 million in funding to advance the development of a next-generation zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell system designed for commercial aircraft.
The investment, awarded through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme in collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK, will support the company’s ambitious three-year initiative known as Project HEIGHTS.
This strategic programme will accelerate the evolution of Intelligent Energy’s modular 300 kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell platform for use in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and short haul commuter planes. The new system, branded IE FLIGHT 300, is slated for early deployment in Part 23 aircraft carrying up to 19 passengers by the end of the decade, with future scalability targeting larger Part 25 regional aircraft in the 2030s.
David Woolhouse, Intelligent Energy CEO, said, “This programme is about getting hydrogen-powered aircraft in the air, and into service at scale, as quickly as possible.”
Woolhouse added, “We firmly believe that hydrogen will be the primary energy source for flight, initially for smaller aircraft but in the longer term for everything that flies. At Intelligent Energy, we have the IP built on 24 years’ experience to give us confidence that we can be the technical leader in this sector. This project supports us in making our modular system even smaller, lighter and more scalable.”
A core challenge in aviation fuel cell integration lies in thermal management. Traditional systems rely on bulky cooling solutions that increase drag and reduce overall efficiency. Project HEIGHTS will focus on enhancing Intelligent Energy’s patented direct water injection technology, which utilises compact air cooled condensers instead of conventional liquid glycol radiators. This approach dramatically reduces the size and drag profile of the heat exchanger, delivering improved performance while maintaining optimal operating temperatures.
The project arrives at a pivotal moment for the aviation sector, as global pressure intensifies to reduce carbon emissions. While battery electric propulsion remains limited by weight and range constraints, hydrogen fuel cell technology offers a cleaner and more scalable solution for sustainable aviation. Intelligent Energy estimates that widespread adoption of fuel cell systems across eVTOLs, regional aircraft, and Auxiliary Power Units for larger airframes could slash CO₂ emissions by up to 25.6 million tonnes annually.
The total addressable market, including both fuel cell system sales and aftersales servicing, is projected to reach £19.6 billion. Intelligent Energy anticipates that scaling up production could generate around 1,600 skilled jobs in the UK. HEIGHTS, short for Hydrogen Efficient fuel cell Integrated in a High Temperature System, builds on the company’s previous contributions to ATI’s H2GEAR programme and draws upon its long-standing aviation experience, including its role in Boeing’s historic first manned fuel cell flight in 2008.
This latest award marks a key milestone for Intelligent Energy’s aviation ambitions. Earlier this year, the company was named a strategic partner in the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s Hydrogen Challenge programme. As part of its growth, Intelligent Energy is also investing in a new £7.1 million hydrogen fuel cell test and validation facility in Northamptonshire, which is set to open in summer 2025. The site will complement its existing manufacturing hub in Loughborough and support advanced testing of the IE FLIGHT 300 system.
Woolhouse said, “We are expanding at pace because the UK has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to consolidate its global lead in hydrogen aviation and build a strong domestic manufacturing capability. The hydrogen economy for aviation will be a major industrial sector, and this support from ATI helps to keep our technology here in the UK.”
Jacqueline Castle, Chief Technology Officer at the Aerospace Technology Institute, stated, “Hydrogen as a fuel source is an essential part of the ATI’s technology roadmaps for future power and propulsion systems. We are delighted to be supporting Intelligent Energy’s HEIGHTS programme, which builds upon its prior expertise in fuel cell development to encompass novel means of addressing thermal management challenges associated with aircraft integration.
“The ATI’s FlyZero project identified the need for high-temperature fuel cell systems and world-class expertise on thermal management within the UK. This project brings the two together to develop what we expect to be a compelling, power dense solution for zero-carbon flight.”
James Hunt, future propulsion lead at the AMRC, said, “When IE approached the AMRC about project HEIGHTS, we saw a pivotal opportunity to leverage the investments we’ve made in cutting-edge technology specifically aimed to address the challenges to decarbonising transportation. This collaboration is not just technical; it’s about actively pioneering the pathway to zero CO2 emission flight in commercial aviation.”
Oliver Curnick, Professor of Electrochemical Engineering at Coventry University’s Research Centre for E-Mobility and Clean Growth, added, “Hydrogen fuel cells represent a gold standard for zero-emission aircraft propulsion. Alternatives like sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen combustion still produce polluting emissions but the only by-product from a fuel cell is water vapour. It’s important that we work to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology in aviation, as there simply aren’t any viable alternatives for truly zero-emission, long-distance flight.”
The development programme is being backed by several leading UK institutions, including the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Coventry University, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. These partners will provide critical expertise in hydrogen propulsion design, electrical systems, simulation and manufacturing optimisation to support Intelligent Energy’s mission to make clean flight a commercial reality.
Matt Kite, Energy and Utilities Director at MTC, added, “This project brings together two important aspects of the Manufacturing Technology Centre’s (MTC’s) core business – hydrogen energy and future mobility. We look forward to working with Intelligent Energy and the other project partners to address the ambitious targets of the HEIGHTS project.”
