Following the recent opening of the Aerotec Fuel Cell Test Centre in Hamburg, clean power systems company, Intelligent Energy, announced today that it has provided leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus with a multi-functional fuel cell auxiliary power unit (APU) aimed at on-board power and other loads in future commercial airliners.

In August 2009, Dr. Gerald Weber, Managing Director of Operations AIRBUS GmbH formally opened the Aerotec Fuel Cell Test Centre which was set up to test fuel cell systems for use on-board commercial aircraft. The opening ceremony featured an Intelligent Energy fuel cell system designed for multi-functional on-board power supply in commercial airliners.

Fuel cells are highly efficient devices, which could provide power for various applications in the aircraft cabin, thereby relieving the drain on the main engines. They will reduce carbon dioxide production in the air and on the ground at airports, thus making a significant contribution to emissions reduction.

Intelligent Energy CEO, Henri Winand said "The advantage of incorporating hydrogen fuel cell technology into aviation is multi-faceted and part of the movement towards "more electric aircraft". Not only do fuel cells reduce emissions and decrease fuel consumption but as we move to a lower carbon economy, the airlines can diversify their fuel supply base, becoming less exposed to volatility in fuel prices."

The clean APU is designed around Intelligent Energy's common core fuel cell systems already utilised in motive programmes such as Intelligent Energy's fuel cell hybrid London taxi and in distributed power work with Scottish and Southern Energy plc.  Henri Winand added "Intelligent Energy operates a focused, working capital efficient "design once, deploy many times" market development approach for our power systems, which allows our customers operating in different market segments to benefit from commercialisation in other non competing markets".

Airbus has already been investigating how hydrogen fuel cells can provide power for aircraft and has previously tested a hydrogen and oxygen-based fuel cell system on board their A320 test aircraft. The fuel cell system powers the aircraft's back-up hydraulic and electric power systems, as well as operating the ailerons.

In February 2008, using a similar type of power system, Intelligent Energy first demonstrated its aviation credentials when it provided the system to Boeing which powered the World's first manned fuel cell aircraft.