Australian hydrogen eVTOL developer secures funds from federal government

AMSL Aero, a New South Wales based zero-emissions aircraft developer, says it has secured $3 million in grant funding from the Australian government to develop and demonstrate its liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft for regional and remote Australia.

AMSL Aero is developing Vertiia, a hydrogen-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft which would theoretically boast a range of 1,000 kilometres, a top speed of 300km/h, and payload capacity of 500 kilograms.

The eVTOL aircraft are capable of taking off and landing like a helicopter, but fly like a fixed-wing aeroplane, and are tipped by some to be a key part of next-generation all-electric flight transport options, boasting more efficient and quieter flight and potentially opening the door for autonomous electric flight.

According to AMSL Aero, Vertiia would only need a 10-minute refuel time and would operate at costs of around 70 per cent less than a traditional helicopter. AMSL Aero is aiming to develop different layout options for Vertiia, including aeromedical, passenger, and cargo.

The $3 million in grant funding comes from the federal government’s department of industry Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Program to develop and demonstrate liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft for regional and remote Australia.

It is part of a two-year, $7.56 million project called Liquid Hydrogen Powered Aircraft for Regional and Remote Australia and will see AMSL Aero collaborate with liquid hydrogen company Fabrum as well as Monash University and Deakin University to address the technical, regulatory, and safety challenges of the technology.

This includes the design of safe liquid hydrogen refuelling systems, testing advanced fuel measurement and power distribution during various flight stages, securing evidence for the development of national regulatory pathways, and demonstrating refuelling procedures integrated with aircraft systems.

“This funding points to the Australian Government’s support for our mission to revolutionise air mobility for regional and remote Australia,” said Dr Adriano Di Pietro, AMSL Aero CEO.

“The project objectives reflect our cooperative leadership across the sector and community to decarbonise aviation.”

The funding comes several months after AMSL Aero partnered with Conflux Technology to use its cooling technology to enable long-range hydrogen-fuelled flights.

Conflux, which was founded in 2015 by former F1 engineer Michael Fuller and is headquartered in Waurn Ponds, Victoria, is a world leading heat exchange technology company and has supplied technology across a wide array of industries including aerospace, defence, automotive, and motorsports.

AMSL Aero intend to use Conflux Technology’s advanced heat transfer technology to cool the hydrogen fuel cells that power Vertiia during vertical take-off, landing, and hover operations.

AMSL Aero is backed by private investors including IP Group Australia, Telstra Super, Host Plus, and StB Capital Partners, the latter owned by Australian coal baron Trevor St Baker, who nevertheless tipped millions into AMSL Aero back in 2022.