Ecotricity, the UK's leading green power company, will launch hydrogen-powered airline Ecojet in 2024

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince, who will use fossil fuels for the first year, says hydrogen engines will pass regulatory scrutiny. He said sustainable aviation fuel was "bullshit".

Dale Vince said the new Ecojet airline will operate 19 flights between Edinburgh and Southampton in the UK, ultimately powered by ZeroAvia hydrogen-powered fuel cell engines, the UK's leading hydrogen aviation company.

After the hydrogen fuel cell engine is approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the fuel cell will be adapted for use in Ecojet aircraft from 2025. The aircraft will also use conventional kerosene to secure equipment and landing sites before hydrogen engines are upgraded.

Dale Vince, a self-described green industrialist, says the situation is not ideal. Once the hydrogen power system (what ZeroAvia calls a jet engine) is installed, the aircraft can only run on green hydrogen. He said on Twitter that Ecojet will use green electricity from wind and solar power to power zero-emission aircraft. This is the final step in the world's first and very important electrification of transport to achieve a carbon-free life without compromise.

Ecotricity says it has begun planning for hydrogen production as part of its Skydiamond program.

Significant questions remain about the regulation and installation required for hydrogen transport, storage and refueling of airport infrastructure, a process that can take months or even years.

Two aircraft will utilize ZeroAvia's 600kW powertrain, one for each engine. ZeroAvia has already tested 19 Dornier 228 aircraft with the goal of making its first commercial flight in 2025. ZeroAvia has conducted nine test flights on a modified aircraft. ZeroAvia, which has 1,500 orders for the ZA600 from around the world, is currently developing a 2.4MW version and plans to test it on a 78-seat Bombardier CRF 700 aircraft.

ZeroAvia claims its operating costs are lower than conventional kerosene engines. McKinsey analysis predicts that by 2050, green hydrogen will cost five times more than kerosene, allowing operators to open more routes and increase passenger numbers.

Dale Vince has been outspoken about decarbonising airlines using sustainable fuels, saying it's a "bullshit" solution that would take up too much land to make it happen.

With many countries failing to meet decarbonisation targets by 2050, it is unlikely that there will be enough sustainable fuel supplies for aviation to decarbonise. The supply of hydrogen may also be limited, and the replacement of aircraft fleets will be slow. By 2050, hydrogen fuel cell aircraft solutions will only account for a small fraction of emissions reductions.