A fuel cell system developed by Intelligent Energy has successfully powered the United Kingdom’s first hydrogen-fuelled Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flight, marking a significant advancement in long-range aerial capabilities.
The flight trial was coordinated by BT with support from aviation systems specialist uAvionix, BVLOS specialist operator Skyfarer, and Intelligent Energy. The primary objective was to demonstrate how the combination of hydrogen power and advanced command-and-control technology can safely extend drone missions beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight, pushing past current limits set by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
At the center of the test was a six-blade hexacopter weighing 25kg, powered by Intelligent Energy’s IE-SOAR fuel cell system. During the operation, the aircraft took off from Llanbedr, Wales, flying into Eryri National Park and traveling up to 10km offshore.
To ensure safety and reliability over these distances, control was maintained via uAvionix’s SkyLine standards-based command and control system. This platform combines aviation protected spectrum C-Band radio, cellular, and satellite datalinks to provide the low latency, high integrity, and high assurance required for long-range BVLOS operations.
Andy Kelly, Head of Product Line at Intelligent Energy, said, “The trial was another strong validation of what hydrogen fuel cells can achieve in UAV applications. The combination of reliable long-range communications and the extended flight time of our IE-SOAR system shows how hydrogen power can move UAV operations to the next level – enabling real-world, long-distance missions that battery systems simply can’t deliver. It’s a step towards certified, market-ready services that will allow drones to fly further, carry heavier payloads and operate safely in remote areas.”
Hydrogen fuel cells offer significantly greater energy density compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries, allowing drones to achieve flight times of up to three hours rather than minutes. Additionally, the systems can be refueled rapidly and emit only water vapour. These characteristics make fuel cell-powered UAVs suitable for long-range tasks such as search and rescue in remote areas, infrastructure and pipeline inspection, and logistics in high-risk environments.
The IE-SOAR system used in the trial is designed and manufactured at Intelligent Energy’s headquarters in Loughborough. The technology delivers scalable power ranging from 800W to 2.4kW for commercial and industrial drones.
Reflecting on the wider implications of the trial, Dave Pankhurst, Future Connected Solutions Director at BT, added, “At our Drone Connect Demo Day in Snowdonia we supported the UK’s first hydrogen powered Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone flight, proving how multi-layered connectivity and hydrogen power can enable longer, zero-carbon flights in challenging environments. It’s a big step toward certified services that will let emergency responders and logistics providers operate further, safer and more sustainably than ever before.”
