- Zero-emission aviation leader will launch a Hydrogen Centre of Excellence and major manufacturing facility close to Glasgow Airport.
- Scottish Enterprise have awarded ZeroAvia a £9m Regional Selective Assistance grant to help realise the project alongside company investment, creating hundreds of jobs.
- The manufacturing plans build on UK Government R&D funding and equity investment into ZeroAvia.
- Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and UK Government Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray launches the new project alongside ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov.
ZeroAvia today announced that it will build a major manufacturing facility for production of its hydrogen-electric powertrains at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, close to Glasgow Airport in Renfrewshire.
ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will support the company in a range of manufacturing operations relating to powertrain production and testing and will also be the company’s primary location for production of advanced high temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks and supporting systems. With nearly 3,000 full engine and component pre-orders agreed with airlines and OEMs – corresponding to over $10 billion in future revenues – ZeroAvia is advancing its production operations to meet demand.
The new facility will complement ZeroAvia’s Propulsion Center of Excellence in Washington State which is focusing primarily on electric motors and power electronics. The company also has plans to expand its R&D and aircraft testing centre at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire.
The project in Scotland, which will unlock millions in private investment and support hundreds of jobs over the next few years, has been made possible by a £9m Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise. This follows an equity investment of £20m from the Scottish National Investment Bank into ZeroAvia as part of the company’s Series C funding, with the UK National Wealth Fund investing £32 million as a cornerstone-level investor in the round. The Series C funding round was led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and NEOM Investment Fund.
The UK Government awarded ZeroAvia and consortium partners £10.5 million to develop the advanced HTPEM fuel cells in 2024 via the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme in conjunction with the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK. The UK Government has awarded ZeroAvia £18.5 million total R&D funding since 2019 to develop their fuel cell and powertrain technology. This support alongside more than $250 million private investment has enabled ZeroAvia to make rapid progress: flying the world’s first hydrogen-electric commercial scale aircraft in 2020, more than doubling the power output to again fly the world’s largest hydrogen-electric aicraft in 2023, manufacturing and shipping fuel cell systems to customers, and securing significant regulatory traction for the certification of its powertrains.
Scotland First Minister John Swinney and Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray spoke at an event at Glasgow Airport today (Wednesday 21 May) to launch ZeroAvia’s plans for its manufacturing facility at AMIDS.
The First Minister said: “Scotland has the skills, the talent and the innovation to be at the forefront of efforts to tackle the climate emergency while developing significant new opportunities to grow the economy.
“ZeroAvia’s decision to establish a base in Scotland – creating 350 highly-skilled jobs in the process - is the perfect illustration of Scotland’s growing reputation in the global transition to net zero.
“Attracting inward investment is critical to economic growth and we will continue to work with Scottish Development International and other partners bring more high quality jobs to Scotland.
“By setting out a strategic vision in priority areas such as the hydrogen we are sending a clear statement to investors and businesses that Scotland is at the heart of the green energy revolution. The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will be at the forefront of fuel cell technology and offers a hugely promising and exciting proposition for sustainable aviation.”
Val Miftakhov, Founder and Chief Executive, ZeroAvia said: “Scotland has some unique advantages for ZeroAvia with strong aerospace and engineering skills, a burgeoning hydrogen sector and a clear aviation strategy with potential for early adoption of zero-emission flights.
The aviation industry is on the cusp of the biggest transformation since the advent of the jet age, with entirely new propulsion systems set to power the next era of aviation – cleaner flights, better economics and better experiences for all.”
“With this new facility, Scotland has a big role to play in driving this transformation. We welcome the grant award from Scottish Enterprise and the support of our equity investors that has enabled us to move into another phase of manufacturing readiness as we progress towards certification of our first engines.”
Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive Adrian Gillespie said: “It is fantastic that we’ve been able to attract ZeroAvia to Scotland, not only for the jobs they will be creating, but for the hugely important role they can play in ensuring Scotland maintains its reputation for fostering innovative green technologies.
“Making aviation sustainable is crucial to a successful green economy and Scottish Enterprise is fully committed to backing ambitious companies with innovative ideas.
“ZeroAvia’s decision to come to Scotland is a real boost to our energy transition leadership, as well as being a further example of why Scotland is such a great place for inward investment.”
Kam Jandu, chief executive of AGS Airports, said: “Hydrogen is becoming an increasingly viable option for regional and short-haul aircraft, so it is fantastic to see ZeroAvia choose Glasgow Airport as the location for its manufacturing base.
"As a regional airport group that serves the Highlands and Islands, as well as the Channel Islands from Southampton, AGS Airports is the perfect testbed for hydrogen powered flight. The Glasgow City Region has a critical mass of companies and skills, together with a vibrant academic and advanced manufacturing landscape to shape the sustainable future of aviation. ZeroAvia clearly recognises the benefits of locating its new facility here and we look forward to working with them to make zero emission flight a reality.”
