During the NBAA-BACE 2022 convention in Orlando, Florida, MagniX announced its entry into hydrogen fuel cell technology. 

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Its propulsion systems are agnostic to power sources, and they are based in Everett, Washington. A hydrogen fuel cell is now being added to the company's product portfolio to complement its battery-electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems.

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Eviation's all-electric Alice commuter airplane was powered by two Magni650 650-kilowatt electric propulsion units (EPU). Also, Magni350's 350-kilowatt EPU powered the first fully electric flight of a Robinson R44 helicopter, while Magni500's 500-kilowatt motors powered two aircraft: a converted Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and Harbour Air's eBeaver.

“We're very focused on battery development, and we're also very focused on hydrogen fuel cell development,” Simon Roads, MagniX’s head of marketing, told Rich Report. “We ultimately want to provide our customers with a full solution, not just the EPU that we are building today…but also the energy storage system that feeds that, so that we can offer battery, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell solutions to our customers.”

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At Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, MagniX also announced a partnership with AeroTec, Universal Hydrogen, and its hydrogen fuel cell partner Plug Power to establish a hydrogen aviation test and service center. It is expected that the facility will be used to convert a Dash 8 regional airliner to hydrogen propulsion by 2025, in time to start commercial operations. Last week, Universal Hydrogen announced that the first hydrogen-powered Dash 8 flight would take place in Moses Lake by the end of the year.

“The future of sustainable aviation will require a mix of solutions,” said Nuno Taborda, CEO of MagniX. “We are bringing our experience and expertise to advance hydrogen fuel cell technology, which will enable us to power even more aircraft.”

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“This technology has the potential to play a significant role in ushering in the era of zero-carbon flight,” said Riona Armesmith, MagniX's chief technology officer. “By complementing our existing battery electric and hybrid electric programs, it will allow us to best serve the electric aerospace marketplace, meeting the needs of the planet and of our customers.”

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