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As the world confronts the urgency of climate change, the aviation industry faces a unique set of challenges — and opportunities — in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Hydrogen, once viewed as a distant and overly ambitious solution for aviation, is now emerging as a promising path forward, bringing about what some are calling the ‘third aviation revolution’. This transformation aims to create a sustainable aviation infrastructure, balancing environmental goals with continued economic growth. But will aerospace manufacturers be ready to take the lead in this hydrogen-powered future?

At the forefront of these efforts is – a set of new and repurposed facilities on campus enabling rapid innovation in a regulated and safety-focused environment. Situated at Cranfield’s airport facilities and equipped with cutting-edge hydrogen-focused lab spaces, the incubator brings together research and industry to solve critical technical challenges in hydrogen aviation. This includes breakthroughs in production methods, materials, storage systems, propulsion, and aircraft design — all underpinned by Cranfield’s longstanding commitment to hydrogen research.

The challenge of a hydrogen ecosystem

Transitioning to a viable hydrogen ecosystem is not without huge challenges. The infrastructure required for green hydrogen production, transportation, and storage — both on the ground and in aircraft — is complex and costly, but the large-scale lab spaces needed for working out the processes are in place. With Cranfield’s new facilities and partnerships paving the way for advancements across these areas, with collaborators like Airbus, Heathrow Airport, Siemens Energy, Marshall, and Toyota, CH2i fosters the interdisciplinary and multi-industry teamwork essential for success.

Achieving the hydrogen shift will require robust collaboration across research institutions, manufacturers, airlines, airports, and suppliers to develop safe, scalable, and commercially viable solutions. CH2i aims to create the foundation for certification standards, ensuring that hydrogen technology in aviation not only matches but potentially exceeds current safety benchmarks.

Building hydrogen expertise and infrastructure

The CH2i initiative has received £23 million from Research England’s Research Partnership Investment Fund (RPIF), alongside an additional £46 million from industry partners. As part of CH2i, the Hydrogen Integration Research Centre (HIRC) will include new labs for advanced materials synthesis and testing, a dedicated innovation area to develop a next-generation hydrogen pilot plant demonstration, and labs for electrolysis and catalyst development. Alongside HIRC, CH2i is building a new suite of indoor test cells which, together with a reconfigured outdoor test area for liquid hydrogen experiments, will enable R&D with the CH2i industrial partners into the storage, fuel-systems, and propulsion integration of hydrogen, focusing on systems at various technology readiness levels. Finally, there will also be development of Cranfield Airport’s runway to increase its size and capacity to allow for safe operation and testing of larger demonstrator hydrogen-enabled aircraft.

Cranfield’s commitment to hydrogen research dates back to the early 1990s, with projects exploring both green and blue hydrogen production. More recently, work with the US-based Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and British energy company Doosan Babcock has advanced the building of our pilot plant ‘HyPER’ on campus, designed to achieve a 30% reduction in production costs for high-purity hydrogen compared to conventional steam methane reforming methods (that depend on CO₂ capture as an additional and expensive step in the process), and will achieve 97% lower carbon emissions compared with traditional hydrogen production. Additionally, Cranfield is investigating the potential of biogas feedstocks from UK-based anaerobic digestion plants, an approach that could make hydrogen production even more sustainable.

Innovation in hydrogen storage and fuel systems

One of the more ambitious projects underway is a £40 million collaboration with Airbus to create the world’s first commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035. Central to this effort is the development of advanced materials and type VI cryogenic fuel tanks capable of safely storing liquid hydrogen. These tanks are designed with built-in safety assurances; even if active cooling or other systems fail, the materials are engineered to maintain safe temperature and pressure levels, allowing enough time for a controlled landing and resolution of issues. To further enhance safety and reliability, innovations like self-healing polymers, graphene layers, and ultralight aerogels are being incorporated. The first prototype of the type VI cryogenic hydrogen tank is undergoing testing this year, with flight trials slated to begin in 2026.

Beyond this, Cranfield is exploring the use of ammonia for carbon-capture hydrogen storage and waste-to-fuel processes, as well as the practicalities of implementing hydrogen refuelling across airports using compressed gas and/or liquid hydrogen with Heathrow Airport. Other trials include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, such as a baggage tractor at Bristol Airport in collaboration with easyJet and an aircraft tow-tug at Cranfield’s own airport. We are also working with Exeter Airport to trial a system of multiple hydrogen vehicles, the tractor and tow-tug at Exeter Airport, as well as a ground power unit (using a hybrid of diesel and hydrogen fuels). These trials are crucial for understanding the practicalities and costs of deploying hydrogen for ground operations at airports.

Positioning the UK for leadership in hydrogen aviation

The CH2i hub is designed to drive significant advances in the field of hydrogen aviation, with Â鶹´«Ã½AV leading the way in demonstrating hydrogen’s viability for a sustainable future in aviation. Early investment and active engagement by businesses in hydrogen technology will not only solidify the UK’s position as a leader in this transformative sector but will also set a global standard for the aviation industry.

For commercial organisations, early involvement in collaborative R&D offers a strategic advantage in shaping the future of energy transition, new fuel technologies, advanced materials, and infrastructure systems. CH2i is purpose-built to facilitate this collaboration, providing unique “next-level” facilities that bridge fundamental research and real-world application, bolstered by Cranfield’s unique Global Research Airport. From low TRL research within the HIRC to sub-system testing in new test cells and LH2 test area and airport, Cranfield’s facilities and expertise uniquely support collaborative R&D with industry from concept to implementation, accelerating industry adoption of hydrogen in aviation and energy solutions.

If you or your organisation are interested in learning more or in partnering with Cranfield on collaborative hydrogen R&D, we invite you to get in touch. Together, we can drive forward a sustainable aviation future and set the pace for innovation in hydrogen technologies.

Jon Horsley (Programme Manager for the Hydrogen RPIF ‘CH2i’) and Phil Longhurst (Professor and Director of Theme for Transport and Energy) at Â鶹´«Ã½AV.

For more on CH2i and opportunities for collaboration, visit or contact h2@cranfield.ac.uk.