Zero emission flight demonstrator competition: round 1 successful projects
Published 23 July 2026
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Eight projects have secured funding in round 1 of the zero emission flight demonstrator competition, which aims to demonstrate zero emission commercial capable flight in the UK.
These projects will carry out activity to demonstrate the viability of operating zero-emission aircraft from UK airports, supporting the delivery of a greener aviation sector using innovative technology.
This update on round 1’s successful applicants includes information on:
- who is leading each project and any partners involved
- costs and funding
- location
- what each project will do
The figures provided are maximum indicative funding levels for projects lasting up to 24 months from August 2026. Projects were chosen following a funding competition run by Innovate UK.
DfT and Innovate UK are reviewing the case for further funding through the competition and the best way to provide it.
Bristol Airport liquid hydrogen supply assurance and architecture study
| Lead: | Equilibrion Limited |
|---|---|
| Partners: | Bristol Airport |
| Location: | South West, England |
| Total project cost: | £135,237 |
| DfT funding: | £93,164 |
This project will develop a practical and evidence-based pathway for how Bristol Airport could introduce liquid hydrogen infrastructure to support future zero-emission flight. The study addresses an important sector challenge: how to translate early hydrogen trials and refuelling concepts into a dependable airport fuel system that can support future aircraft operations, regulatory decisions and investment choices.
The project will:
- help strengthen the evidence base for zero-emission flight infrastructure
- support future airport investment planning
- provide a practical model that can inform wider adoption of hydrogen
It will contribute to the long-term transition toward cleaner airport operations and lower-carbon air transport.
CHOSAN zero emission flight demonstration
| Lead: | Badgerworks Limited |
| Partners: | Weslake, Unitrove Innovate Ltd, Bristol Airport Limited |
| Location: | UK wide |
| Total project cost: | £1,722,191 |
| DfT funding: | £1,153,790 |
This consortium is developing cryogenic hydrogen optimised systems for aviation (CHOSAN). CHOSAN will demonstrate the practical use of liquid hydrogen (LH2) as a low-carbon aviation fuel through a programme of real-world flight operations, while also helping to develop the operational experience and regulatory framework needed to support LH2-fuelled aircraft at commercial airports. Building on recent advances in hydrogen propulsion, the project will deliver a series of point-to-point flights on regional routes of up to 500 km.
The data generated will support industry, regulators and policymakers in understanding how hydrogen can be deployed safely and effectively in regional air transport.
ECLiPSE (electrified charging and liquid-cooling provision for support of e-flights)
| Lead: | Vertical Aerospace |
| Partners: | University of Bath, InnCat Ltd. |
| Location: | South West England and South Wales |
| Total project cost: | £3,372,793 |
| DfT funding: | £1,752,747 |
Project ECLIPSE will deliver innovative solutions to reduce costs, site integration time & the availability of high-power charging & thermal management systems for electric aircraft. With Bath University & InnCat Ltd as partners, vertical aerospace (VA) will integrate key transformative technologies that realise significant cost benefits, alongside increased product performance, system footprint reduction & long-term robustness.
Demonstrating this new technology will establish a route to higher charging power that improves the commercial viability of electrified routes for operators. These are key enablers for the proliferation of electrified aerospace and are expected to be further applied to the wider transport sector.
HyPRIME (hydrogen propulsion refuelling infrastructure mobile ecosystem)
| Lead: | ZEROAVIA Limited |
| Partners: | ULEMCO Ltd, Geopura Ltd, Bristol Airport Ltd, Birmingham Airport Ltd. |
| Location: | South West England |
| Total project cost: | £3,417,518 |
| DfT funding: | £2,124,651 |
Project HyPRIME will develop, build and demonstrate a mobile hydrogen refuelling vehicle capable of supporting liquid hydrogen (LH2) powered aircraft together and hydrogen-powered Ground Support Equipment and facilities applications.
Demonstrated in a live airport environment, the project will analyse and document operations, procedures, costs, benefits and economic trade-offs for introduction and scaling of LH2 fuel in commercial airports.
HyPRIME will test:
- LH2 aircraft refuelling within standard commercial turnaround times
- utilising boil-off hydrogen to fuel a hydrogen aircraft tug and a hydrogen power generation unit to supply electrical power for other airport applications
SATE hydrogen roadmap
| Lead: | Urban Foresight Limited |
| Partners: | Cormorant Seaplanes Ltd, Electric Aviation Maven Ltd, HITRANS |
| Location: | Scotland, Highlands and Islands |
| Total project cost: | £249,943 |
| DfT funding: | £190,080 |
The SATE hydrogen roadmap is a feasibility study exploring how hydrogen-powered aircraft could be introduced on regional aviation routes across the Highlands & Islands of Scotland.
The region’s remote and island communities depend on air services, however, current services face:
- rising costs
- ageing fleets
- growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions
The consortium will deliver:
- a hydrogen in aviation roadmap
- prioritised list of routes
- demonstrator recommendations
- airport infrastructure plans
The project’s insights will provide a clear pathway from demonstration to commercial deployment, with potential for replication across other remote regions of the UK.
Scalable power architecture to rapidly charge aircraft (SPARC-AIR)
| Lead: | SYSELEK (UK) Limited |
| Partners: | University of Warwick, Daedal Research LLP |
| Location: | Greater London |
| Total project cost: | £249,997 |
| DfT funding: | £197,308 |
This feasibility study addresses the need for high-power charging infrastructure and power systems at airports to recharge electric aircraft during turnarounds. The project will also address the commercial viability for airports to accommodate electric aircraft.
The project outcomes will be published in the form of a blueprint for UK airport electrification, including:
- viable commercial models to accommodate electric aircraft
- streamlined processes to right-size the power system and compliance with standards
Regulatory aspects for safe ground operations and electric aircraft recharging will also be considered. It will integrate fragmented knowledge into actionable insights, facilitating wide engagement with all stakeholders.
Project SEAN - Scottish electric aviation network
| Lead: | Bristow Helicopters Limited |
| Partners: | Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, Skyports Infrastructure Limited, Electric Aviation Maven Limited, Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, BETA Technologies Inc. |
| Location: | Scotland, Highlands and Islands |
| Total project cost: | £2,125,155 |
| DfT funding: | £1,522,896 |
This project brings together a consortium to deliver a structured, real-world demonstration of zero‑emission regional flight. Building on experience from initiatives such as Norway’s test arena for zero and low emission aviation, the consortium will develop an evidence-based hub-and-spoke network using Inverness Airport as a hub connecting to other Scottish airports, ensuring the network is appropriately sized and informing assessments of electricity requirements at each operating location.
The programme will conduct a three-month series of demonstration flights using the BETA Alia CX300 aircraft. This operational phase will cover:
- flight planning
- pilot qualification
- operational risk assessment
- regulatory alignment
- the development of electrification & charging CONOPS
Sky-Zero: operational pathways for avoiding contrails in zero-emission flight
| Lead: | Electric Aviation Group Limited |
| Partners: | Viridian Intelligence Ltd. |
| Location: | South West England |
| Total project cost: | £249,674 |
| DfT funding: | £174,772 |
A strong evidence base on non-CO2 effects is essential to unlocking the full environmental benefits of zero-emission flight.
Sky-Zero will develop practical, operational solutions to enable airlines, airports and air traffic management to reduce contrail formation through improved flight operations.
The project focuses on the fixed-wing regional aircraft, expected to be among the first zero-emission aircraft to enter commercial service in the UK.
The project will create a UK-specific understanding of contrail formation by analysing meteorological data and flight patterns. Using this information, it will develop decision-support tools and operational guidance to help airlines plan routes that avoid contrail-forming conditions, while maintaining safe and efficient operations.
Sky-Zero will also develop monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) methods to measure and validate the climate benefits of contrail avoidance.