Page 30 - CNC West web Feb March 2022

Aviation Startup ZeroAvia is Building an R&D Center Near Seattle
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CNC WEST February/March 2022
ZeroAvia, a green aviation company with backing from tech giants and major airlines, is building a research- and-development space north of Seattle at Everett’s Paine Field.
The location is notable as the home of century-old aerospace heavyweight Boeing, as well as to fellow elec- tric plane upstart MagniX, which moved into a new manu- facturing building in the area one year ago.
And it may be the start of a bigger Washington state presence for ZeroAvia. While the current project is fo- cused on R&D, ZeroAvia will need to build a manufactur- ing facility in the near future in order to start rolling out its hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrains for customers in 2024.
ZeroAvia is developing powertrains for aircraft, start- ing with propulsion systems for 10-to 20-seat planes with a more than 500-mile range that could be used for passen- gers, package delivery, agriculture and other uses. It plans to keep scaling up the size of its powertrains, with the ul- timate goal of powering aircraft with more than 200 seats.
At Paine Field, the company is converting warehouse space into offices and R&D facilities. The Washington Department of Commerce awarded a $350,000 economic development grant to help fund the project. The company is spending an additional $5.5 million to refurbish the lo- cation, with more investment to come. The site will ini- tially employ 20 to 30 people.
In Everett, ZeroAvia will be operating alongside Alas- ka Airlines in a space that could occupy tens of thousands
of square feet. The Seattle-based air- line this fall provided the startup with a De Havilland Q400 aircraft for the startup to outfit with its hydrogen- electric system for demonstration pur- poses. The plane can carry up to 76 passengers and was previously flown by Alaska’s subsidiary, Horizon Air.
The new R&D site will also be used for developing technology and flight tests. That will include the Q400 aircraft and other technologies. Snohomish County is home to rough- ly 500 companies in the aerospace industry, creating a potential source of workers and access to a developed supply chain.
At the same time, commercial space ventures are going strong in the region, with Blue Origin’s headquarters based south of Se-
attle and SpaceX expanding its operations in the area.
As the world tries to slash its carbon emissions, the aerospace sector is pursuing various avenues for decarbon- ization. In addition to burning carbon-emitting fossil fuels, traditional aircraft produce heat-trapping nitrogen oxides and contrails. To reduce those impacts, companies are exploring alternatives including battery-powered electric aircraft and
hydrogen fuel.
MagniX is focused on all-electric flight and recently
won a $74.3 million grant from NASA to demonstrate its technology. It has a deal with Vancouver, B.C.-based Har- bour Air to create a fleet of retrofitted electric seaplanes cer- tified for short-haul passenger flights, and partnerships with other small airlines.
ZeroAvia will be conducting flight tests in the United Kingdom with this 20-seat, hydrogen-electric powered plane in early 2022. In the meantime, many airlines are pursuing Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF, which are fuels produced from non-fossil fuel sources, such as oils from plants and animals and agricultural waste. SAF is also in limited supply and has climate impacts but can be used in existing aircraft.
ZeroAvia, which launched in 2017, has R&D sites in Hollister, Calif. and Cotswold Airport in the United King- dom.
ZeroAvia’s goal for 2025 is to start building ZA-2000 powertrains for aircraft that can carry 40 to 90 passengers, with plans to deliver those systems to customers in 2026.