French Startup Teams Up with JetZero on Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft Design
A French technology startup, SHZ Advanced Technologies, has announced plans to collaborate with California-based JetZero to explore a hydrogen-powered version of its futuristic all-wing aircraft. The partnership aims to push the boundaries of zero-emission aviation, even as major industry players take a more cautious approach.
Blended Wing-Body Aircraft and Hydrogen Potential
JetZero is developing the Z4, a blended wing-body aircraft designed to cut fuel use and carbon emissions by up to 50%. Unlike traditional tube-and-wing designs, its V-shaped fuselage doubles as a wing, reducing drag and improving efficiency.
SHZ will work with JetZero under a NASA-backed research programme to design systems for storing and distributing liquid hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel produces no carbon emissions and has a high energy-to-mass ratio, but its storage presents challenges. It must be cooled to -253°C and requires larger tanks, which conventional aircraft struggle to accommodate.
SHZ claims its innovative tank design overcomes these hurdles by avoiding bulky cylindrical shapes, allowing better integration into JetZero’s wide fuselage without reducing passenger seating.
Industry Challenges and Competition
Hydrogen aviation has divided opinion among aerospace giants. Airbus paused its target of launching a hydrogen-powered plane by 2035, citing infrastructure gaps, while Boeing has been sceptical of its commercial viability.
Eric Schulz, co-founder of SHZ and former Airbus and Rolls-Royce executive, said JetZero would adopt a phased approach. The first version of the Z4 will use conventional propulsion, while a hydrogen-powered variant will follow in later stages.
The blended wing-body concept is not entirely new. It dates back to the 1940s and has been tested in aircraft such as the US B-2 bomber and NASA’s X-48 project with Boeing. However, JetZero is revisiting the idea as aviation faces mounting pressure to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Timeline and Future Prospects
JetZero, backed by investors including United Airlines, has said it is on track to fly a full-scale prototype of its 250-seat Z4 aircraft by 2027. If successful, the hydrogen-powered version could emerge as a second phase of the project, potentially reshaping the future of long-haul aviation.
The collaboration with SHZ Advanced Technologies highlights a renewed push towards cleaner flight solutions, even as industry leaders remain cautious about hydrogen’s commercial readiness.
With inputs from Reuters
