Airbus is putting the brakes on its zero-emission hydrogen-powered aircraft project, on account of technical challenges and slower adoption of the technology, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The company, which previously targeted to launch the aircraft by 2035, spent more than $1.7B on the project, sources told WSJ. Airbus has since cut the project's budget by a quarter and reallocated staff, pushing its timeline by as much as a decade.
Project challenges include reconfiguring engines to run on a different fuel, storing hydrogen in liquid form at -423°F, and requiring a new supply chain for the fuel. Airbus has been exploring using fuel cells, but the additional weight and limited electricity generation would lead to fewer seats and a narrower range for the aircraft.
The company said delaying the project would give it more time to fine-tune the technology. "Our destination is not changing," said Bruno Fichefeux, its head of future programs. "To get there, we need to adjust to reality."
In an earnings call in February, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said pushing the project's timeline would provide time to further develop the performance of fuel cell propulsion and liquid hydrogen system technologies.
Many companies have been scaling back their green initiatives, and broader enthusiasm for hydrogen is fading. Oil giant BP, which is pivoting back to fossil fuels, and Finland's Neste recently pulled plans for new hydrogen plants.
Subscribe to the newsletter
Daily decarbonization data and news delivered to your inbox
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Companies
Latest issues
-
ExxonMobil + CF Capture 2M Tons in America’s Largest CCS Launch
Inside This Issue 🏭 CF Industries Flips Switch on Massive CCS Hub That Changes Everything 🧴 Scientists Transform Plastic Waste Into Efficient CO2 Capture Materials ⚡ SHS Group and Verso Energy Sig...
-
2 Million Tons of CO₂ — But How?
Inside This Issue 🏭 CF Industries Announces Start-up of Donaldsonville Complex CO2 Dehydration and Compression Unit, Permanent CO2 Sequestration 📉 EIA: US Biodiesel And Renewable Diesel Imports Fa...
-
Hydrogen Hubs Hit $10B by 2035: The Real Projects Behind the Numbers
Inside This Issue 💧 Hydrogen Hubs Hit $10B by 2035: The Real Projects Behind the Numbers 🛑 Shell Scraps Construction of Biofuels Plant in Rotterdam ⚙️ Carbon Capture Made Scalable: Decarbontek Deb...
Company Announcements
-
CleanCounts Selected as an Awardee of LevelTen Energy’s Registry Acceleration Fund
Building on Existing 2019 Agreement, North America's Largest Registry to Enable Fractionalized REC Transactions for All Generators in MISO MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Cl...
-
SHS Group and Verso Energy Sign Groundbreaking Hydrogen Contract
The SHS - Stahl-Holding-Saar Group (SHS Group) with its shareholdings Dillinger (Aktien-Gesellschaft der Dillinger Hüttenwerke), Saarstahl (Saarstahl Aktiengesellschaft) and ROGESA (ROGESA Roheisen...
-
US Scientists Harness Sunlight To Capture CO2 In Low-Energy Breakthrough
Scientists have tried countless ways to capture carbon. But what if something as simple and abundant as sunlight could do the trick? Richard Y. Liu, assistant professor at Harvard, has developed a...
-
Hawaiian Airlines on Aug. 29 announced it will be incorporating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on flights between Osaka, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawai‘i under a sales agreement between parent company...