A new plan to use hydrogen-electric technology to power a commercial route between Brisbane and Gladstone has been revealed. This plan is between Stralis Aircraft and CQ University and the aim is for the commercial route to take place in 2027.

Stralis Aircraft and CQ University which is based in Rockhampton, are both part of the Hydrogen Flight Alliance (HFA). This organisation was set up in 2023 through Australian aviation and green hydrogen players at Brisbane Airport.

So far, it has been agreed that the Brisbane-based company will collaborate with CQ University, with the intention of designing a heat management system, which would be suitable for a PEM fuel cell system, which functions at a high-temperature. The overall aim of this collaboration, is to integrate the PEM fuel cell system into the liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Right now, the companies have formed a plan to test the hydrogen-electric propulsion system with the use of a Bonanza A36 aircraft. This plan will commence later on in 2025.

Support for this project is being provided by The Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) Programme, plus on top of this, it will also receive funding from the Queensland Government. Also, the project will be delivered by Australia’s national science agency CSIRO. This support from The RUIC initiative is incredibly important, because this initiative connects small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with regional universities. The purpose behind doing this, is to undertake collaborative research partnerships across Queensland.

CSIRO’s SME Connect Programmes Director, Dr. George Feast, commented, “The RUIC Programme empowers SMEs like Stralis to transform ambitious ideas into reality.”

CQ University’s Professor in Hydrogen, Jonathon Love, said that the Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy at the University will “help Stralis advance their innovative liquid hydrogen-fuelled HT-PEM fuel cell electric propulsion system towards their exciting first test flight.”