GKN Aerospace completes H2GEAR hydrogen-electric flight programme, advances cryogenic drive systems and fuel cell propulsion

GKN Aerospace has wrapped up the H2GEAR programme, a 54 million pound UK project co-funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK. The programme focused on developing cryogenic drive systems, high power electrical network architectures, and fuel cell propulsion integration for hydrogen-powered aircraft. It brought together partners including Intelligent Energy, Aeristech, the University of Manchester, University of Birmingham, and Newcastle University. A key outcome is the launch of HP Drive Technologies Ltd., a joint venture between the University of Nottingham and GKN Aerospace. This spinout aims to industrialise advanced cryogenic drive systems for aerospace and potentially other sectors. The programme also reduced technical risk for future hydrogen-electric flight applications and strengthened UK capability in design, manufacture, and testing of hydrogen-enabled aerospace systems. Follow-on programmes H2FlyGHT in the UK and ICEFLIGHT in the Netherlands will continue maturing these technologies toward multi-megawatt-class hydrogen-electric propulsion systems. The work targets commercially viable zero-carbon flight, though timelines for actual aircraft integration remain unspecified.