MagniX teams up with Universal Hydrogen for electric airplane conversion project

An artist’s rendering shows a hydrogen-fueled Dash 8 airplane equipped with MagniX’s 2-megawatt-class propulsion system, highlighted in the green cutaway view. (MagniX Illustration)

Redmond, Wash.-based MagniX says it’s partnering with a Los Angeles startup called Universal Hydrogen to retrofit 40-passenger regional aircraft with carbon-free, hydrogen-fueled electric powertrains.

The partnership opens up a new frontier for MagniX, which is already involved in flight tests for all-electric versions of smaller airplanes such as the de Havilland Beaver (for Vancouver, B.C.-based Harbour Air) and the Cessna Grand Caravan.

This time, MagniX and Universal Hydrogen aim to transform the de Havilland Canada DHC8-Q300, better known as the Dash 8. The Dash 8 is a time-honored twin turboprop traditionally used for commercial regional air service. If the project succeeds, the lessons learned can be applied for the development of retrofit conversion kits for the wider ATR 42 family of aircraft.

Universal Hydrogen’s plan for the Dash 8 calls for MagniX to provide an electric propulsion system in the 2-megawatt class for each wing, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. MagniX has previously developed electric airplane motors in the range of 280 to 560 kilowatts.

The conversion is expected to reduce seat capacity from 50 to 40 passengers.

Hydrogen fuel-cell power systems in cars and airplanes are meant to address the challenge of climate change by providing a carbon-free fuel source. Today, commercial hydrogen is typically produced in the course of processing fossil fuels, but it can also be made through solar-powered electrolysis or biological production.

Universal Hydrogen is working on safer and more efficient systems for transporting hydrogen on trucks and trains in Kevlar-coated pods. “We want to basically turn hydrogen into dry freight,” Paul Eremenko, the company’s co-founder and CEO, told Bloomberg News last month.

Excited to share our mission with the world today: to make hydrogen the universal propellant for a carbon-free aviation industry: https://t.co/WWf57DPhb5 #aviation #hydrogen #avgeeks pic.twitter.com/tvPMPnx9vo

— Universal Hydrogen (@Universal_H2) August 26, 2020

The partnership with MagniX aims to demonstrate the market viability for hydrogen-electric hybrid propulsion systems.

“There is a clear need for a step change in emissions reduction in commercial aviation, and hydrogen-based, carbon-free power is the future of the industry,” Eremenko said today in a news release. “When looking for our propulsion partner, MagniX stood out as a clear proven leader with a track record of delivering the best in aerospace-grade electric propulsion.”

MagniX, a subsidiary of the Singapore-based Clermont Group, moved its headquarters to Redmond from Australia two years ago. In a statement, MagniX CEO Roei Ganzarski said his company is looking forward to working with Universal Hydrogen to “bring scalable, proven technology to the next level of electric aviation.”

“Universal Hydrogen, through its hydrogen transport and distribution infrastructure solution, is on a path to change the way regional flight is achieved and transform it from being powered by decades-old, expensive, polluting technology to low-cost clean solutions,” Ganzarski said. “The MagniX team is inspired by the synergies between our mission and that of Universal Hydrogen.”

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Microsoft makes hydrogen fuel cell breakthrough in quest to power data centers with renewable energy

Power Innovations built a 250-kilowatt fuel cell system to help Microsoft explore the potential of using a hydrogen fuel cells for backup power generation at data centers. (Power Innovations Photo)

For the first time, Microsoft has successfully powered a row of data center servers using hydrogen fuel cells for 48 hours, a milestone the company is marking because of its potential to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel consuming generators.

The fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen in a process that creates water vapor and electricity. Microsoft conducted the proof-of-concept at a data center near Salt Lake City, Utah.

Microsoft is investing in hydrogen energy technology as part of its effort to become carbon negative and eliminate its dependence on diesel fuel by 2030.

Although Microsoft uses diesel generators as back-up power for data centers on average less than once a year, and only when the grid fails, the company sees other applications for hydrogen fuel cells down the road. Microsoft envisions a future in which hydrogen could be used to power industrial facilities and long-haul vehicles.

“What if you could take all of these assets the datacenter has and integrate them into the grid in a way that helps to further accelerate decarbonization of the grid more broadly rather than just a point solution for the data center itself,” said Brian Janous, general manager of Microsoft’s data center sustainability team, in a statement. “That’s where I think all of this gets interesting.”

Microsoft used hydrogen stored in these tanks on trailers parked outside a lab near Salt Lake City, Utah, to fuel hydrogen fuel cells that powered a row of datacenter servers for 48 consecutive hours. (Power Innovations Photo)

The estimated costs to produce hydrogen fuel cells has fallen 75% since 2018, according to Microsoft. If the trend continues, the company predicts hydrogen fuel cells will be price competitive with diesel generators.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced new sustainability initiatives, including the largest single renewable energy investment the company has ever made. Microsoft pledged in January to become carbon negative by 2030 and remove more carbon than the company has put into the atmosphere since it launched by 2050.

But climate change advocates say the commitments run counter to Microsoft’s partnerships with oil and gas companies. Cloud providers, like Microsoft and Amazon, are under particular scrutiny for supplying tools that energy companies use to find and extract fossil fuels.

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