Airbus is expecting its new Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) near Bristol will initially support around 50 jobs and be a “key project” in attracting new talent into the UK aerospace sector.
The company announced an event in London last week (May 25) it is set to develop hydrogen technologies at its site in Filton as part of efforts to decarbonise aviation.
Work has already begun in South Gloucestershire on technologies Airbus has said will be “crucial” to the performance of future aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, which scientists and aerospace experts have said could provide cleaner, more sustainable flight.
The new research hub will look to deliver a “cost-competitive cryogenic fuel system” and support Airbus’ ambition to develop the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.
A spokesperson for Airbus told BusinessLive they expected the centre would employ “around 50 people” in early phases up to 2024.
The number will consist of a mix of existing and new staff, with the project “key” to accelerating the company’s zero-emission ambitions, Airbus said.
The centre adds to Airbus’ existing research and technology footprint in the UK, as well as the work on cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks being done at the manufacturer’s existing ZEDCs in Spain, Germany, France and Germany.
All Airbus ZEDCs are expected to be fully operational and ready for ground testing with the first fully functional cryogenic hydrogen tank during 2023, and with flight testing starting in 2026.
The firm said its ZEDC in Filton would benefit from a £685m government fund, recently granted over the next three years to national research programme the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), to support the development of zero-carbon and ultra-low-emission aircraft technologies.
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