Ricardo: UK Consortium to Deliver World’s First Truly Green Passenger Carrying Airline Services Using Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
30.3.2021 02:01:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) - the UK SME leading the Project Fresson consortium - announces it will exploit recent advances in hydrogen fuel cell technology to develop a commercially viable, retrofit powertrain solution for the nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islander aircraft.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210329005667/en/
Project Frisson to deliver world's first green passenger aircraft service (Graphic: Business Wire)
Following a rigorous assessment of hydrogen technology innovators, CAeS is delighted to welcome Ricardo UK Ltd and Innovatus Technologies Ltd to the Fresson consortium. Ricardo UK Ltd brings expertise in fuel cell system development and Innovatus Technologies Ltd brings their innovative Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Tank (SHyFT) technology.
Steve Dyke, Managing Director Ricardo Automotive and Industrial EMEA Division said: “We are proud to join the Cranfield Aerospace Solutions consortium to play our part in helping to reduce the carbon footprint for commercial air passengers. We are already working on hydrogen and fuel cell technology, providing clean efficient solutions which reduce carbon and noxious emissions across a wide range of sectors. Our work for the Fresson consortium will enable us to consolidate and grow our hydrogen fuel cell and propulsion capability, so that Ricardo can achieve its ambition of becoming a world-leader in hydrogen and fuel cell services and solutions and help accelerate net zero transportation.”
Innovatus Technologies Ltd leads the field in next generation ultralightweight hydrogen tank design exploiting patented cellular core composite techniques. This is critical to the successful integration and exploitation of hydrogen fuel cell power systems in applications across aerospace, automotive, industrial, and marine sectors.
Ruan Swart, Chief Executive Officer Innovatus Technologies Ltd said: ““We are proud in being selected to join the Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, ‘Project Fresson’, consortium. Our unique and innovative SHyFT solution is game-changing in bringing zero carbon fuel cell energy to commercial reality in the transport sector. Project Fresson showcases important Scottish innovation and next generation hydrogen tank manufacturing in the UK.”
Project Fresson will deliver an emissions-free (zero CO2), hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered flying demonstrator by September 2022. Having completed a comprehensive evaluation of technologies and configurations for sustainable aircraft propulsion, the Fresson team concluded that hydrogen fuel cell technology is the optimum solution to meet environmental, regulatory and operational requirements for this size of aircraft, enabling zero carbon emissions and reducing operating costs. This has presented the Fresson consortium, which includes Britten-Norman and Cranfield University, with an opportunity to deliver an enhanced technology programme that surpasses the original demonstrator concept.
Paul Hutton, Chief Executive Officer, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions said: “This is incredibly important for the Project Fresson Team but also for everyone else around the world interested in zero emissions flight. This project can deliver the world’s first truly “green” passenger carrying airline services. The whole team is proud of what Project Fresson has achieved so far and excited about what is to come. I am very thankful for the support of the ATI and our investors for making this ground-breaking work a reality.”
Jenny Kavanagh, Chief Strategy Officer, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions added: “Covid-19 has caused the biggest crisis in aviation’s history. It’s important that, as the sector builds back better, it does so with sustainability at its heart. Project Fresson is more than just a technology demonstrator; it has one focus above all others: real operational and commercial viability.”
Project Fresson is supported by the ATI Programme, a joint Government and industry investment to maintain and grow the UK’s competitive position in civil aerospace design and manufacture. The programme, delivered through a partnership between the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK, addresses technology, capability and supply chain challenges.
As a result of these changes, there is now no longer a need for the Rolls-Royce element of the aircraft programme. It is therefore Rolls-Royce’s intention to withdraw from Project Fresson and the consortium is going through the necessary steps for this to happen. We thank Rolls-Royce for its contribution to Project Fresson and wish its team well. Rolls-Royce will continue to actively research the use of hydrogen in aviation and this decision in no way reflects its overall view of hydrogen as a potential technology.
Ends
Notes to editors
- To follow the progress of Project Fresson, visit the microsite: www.projectfresson.uk or follow on Twitter @projectfresson.
- Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) is an aerospace market leader in rapid prototyping of new aerospace concepts, modifications to existing aerospace platforms and integration of cutting-edge technologies to meet the most challenging issues facing the industry today. CAeS is the wholly owned commercial arm of Cranfield University. Visit: www.cranfieldaerospace.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210329005667/en/
Contact information
Media contacts
For Cranfield Aerospace Solutions:
Telephone: +44 (0) 1234 754046
Email: enquiries@cranfieldaerospace.com
For Ricardo
Kathryn Bellamy
Communications Manager
Ricardo Automotive & Industrial EMEA Division, and Performance Products Division
Email: kathryn.bellamy@ricardo.com
Telephone: +44(0)7921 941824
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Daiichi Sankyo Appoints Markus Kosch to Lead Europe Business as Part of New Commercialization Organization24.8.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) today announced the appointment of Markus Kosch, MD, as Head of Europe Business, effective April 1, 2027. In this role, he will lead the company's European business within the new globally integrated Commercialization Unit and serve as General Manager of Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH, with legal responsibility for the company in Europe. The appointment reflects the next phase of growth of Daiichi Sankyo under its Five-Year Business Plan and the establishment of a new Commercialization Unit. Within this new structure, Markus Kosch will bring together the Oncology and Specialty businesses in Europe under one integrated leadership model to help bring innovative medicines to more patients across the region. For the past five years, Markus Kosch has led the Daiichi Sankyo Oncology Business Division in Europe and Canada, overseeing a period of significant growth and preparing the organization for an increasingly expanding oncology portfolio. Prior to joining Daiichi S
European Commission Approves DAYBU ® (trofinetide) as the First and Only Treatment for Neurobehavioral Symptoms of Rett Syndrome in the European Union24.8.2026 10:01:00 EEST | Press release
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ACAD) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for DAYBU (trofinetide) for the treatment of neurobehavioral symptoms of Rett syndrome in adults and pediatric patients aged five years and older, making it the first and only treatment approved for Rett syndrome in the European Union (EU). “The approval of DAYBU marks a significant milestone for the Rett syndrome community in the EU and advances our mission to bring this innovative treatment to patients and families who have long faced a profound unmet medical need,” said Catherine Owen Adams, Acadia’s Chief Executive Officer. “For people living with Rett syndrome, a devastating rare neurodevelopmental disorder, there have been no approved treatment options in the EU. We are proud to make DAYBU available and look forward to supporting patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers gain access to treatment." The DAYBU marketing authorization in the EU is prim
ORZEYFUL (oveporexton) Approved in Japan as the First and Only Medicine to Treat the Underlying Cause of Narcolepsy Type 124.8.2026 09:36:00 EEST | Press release
Takeda (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) approved the use of ORZEYFUL (oveporexton) for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 (NT1, narcolepsy with cataplexy) in adults. ORZEYFUL is a first-in-class oral orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonist and the only medicine indicated in Japan to treat the disease holistically rather than individual symptoms. The discovery of this new class of medicine originated in Takeda's laboratories in Japan. Takeda is proceeding with launch preparations and expects to make ORZEYFUL available as quickly as possible. “Our discovery of the first orexin agonist is a successful representation of Japan-originated science that will directly impact people around the world living with narcolepsy type 1,” said Julie Kim, president and chief executive officer of Takeda. “With the potential to redefine narcolepsy type 1 care, ORZEYFUL is the first validation of our broader orexin strategy, demonstrating how scientifi
Fasset Hits $1B Valuation as SBI Group Leads $68M Series C to Scale AI-Powered Stablecoin Neobanking24.8.2026 09:03:00 EEST | Press release
Fasset, the AI-powered stablecoin neobanking platform, today announced it has raised $68 million in Series C funding at a $1 billion valuation. The financing was led by SBI Group and follows Fasset’s $51 million Series B earlier this year, which brought Speedinvest onto the cap table alongside a group of strategic investors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260823503947/en/ Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Co-Founder and CEO, Fasset The new capital will support the expansion of Own Network, Fasset’s regulated financial network that connects banks, telcos, payment and liquidity providers to enable settlement across international markets. Fasset will also increase investment in agentic AI-enabled systems supporting corridor banking, stablecoin settlement and tokenized asset infrastructure. After raising Series B in May, Fasset has now raised a total of $119 million in 2026. The financing marks Fasset’s entry into the glob
Zanders Expands DACH Region with New Office in Vienna, Austria24.8.2026 08:11:00 EEST | Press release
Zanders, the global treasury, risk, and technology consultancy, today announced a significant expansion of its DACH region with the opening of a new office in Vienna. The move builds on Zanders' continued growth across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and marks another step in the firm's strategy of deepening its presence in the markets where client demand for specialized treasury, risk, and corporate finance advisory is growing fastest. DACH has been one of Zanders' priority regions for several years, with the firm steadily expanding its team and client base across Germany and Switzerland. Austria represents a natural next step in that growth: in conversations with clients in the market, Zanders has seen growing interest in treasury transformation and financing support, as companies work through interest rate volatility, refinancing needs, and a broader shift toward more digitized, centralized treasury operations. The new Vienna office allows Zanders to be closer to clients' operati
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom