Vessel "Vessel Aero Selected as Lead Research Institution for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Certification for Small Aircraft"

by Jang Hyowon

Published 25 Apr.2023 10:08(KST)

Updated 25 Apr.2023 10:15(KST)

Vessel announced on the 25th that its affiliate, Vessel Aerospace, has been selected as the lead research institute for the national research and development (R&D) project titled ‘Development of Certification System for Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Based Propulsion System for Small Aircraft.’

Led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, this research project involves Vessel Aerospace, Korea Aerospace University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Amotech, Hanwha Aerospace, and others.

This project aims to achieve decarbonization and energy innovation in the aviation sector. Accordingly, participating institutions and companies plan to develop an aviation safety certification system that meets international standards for hydrogen fuel cell-based propulsion systems for small aircraft. The research period is 4 years and 9 months starting this month, with a total research budget of 37.7 billion KRW, including 29 billion KRW of government funding.

Hydrogen fuel cells are devices that generate electricity through the chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. They are environmentally friendly as they produce no byproducts other than pure water and emit no greenhouse gases. Due to lower energy loss compared to thermal power generation, they are gaining attention in various mobility sectors, including unmanned aerial vehicles, submarines, and UAM (Urban Air Mobility).

In particular, hydrogen fuel cells have the advantage of being lighter than lithium-ion batteries. According to the company, hydrogen fuel cells can produce about five times more energy per unit weight than batteries, which can dramatically extend flight range and usability.

Earlier, on the 5th, the government newly designated the hydrogen sector as a national core technology and added two new fuel cell-related technologies. The company stated, “Interest in hydrogen has greatly increased recently with the enactment of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the European Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA).”

Vessel Aerospace was the first in Korea to successfully develop the KLA-100, a two-seat light manned aircraft. Based on this unique technological capability, the company is participating in various public-private joint projects and is carrying out a national project to develop a medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicle with commercialization targeted for 2025.

A company representative said, “We will successfully carry out this project based on our extensive development experience and know-how accumulated over many years in manned and unmanned aircraft and UAM, contributing to decarbonization,” adding, “We will fulfill our role as a leading private aviation manufacturer in Korea.”