Airbus UpNext, a subsidiary of Airbus, and Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corp., part of the Toshiba Group, have joined forces to develop superconducting technologies for hydrogen-powered aircraft. This partnership aims to advance aircraft propulsion systems by leveraging the cooling properties of liquid hydrogen, which operates at -253°C. This will not only serve as fuel but also improve the efficiency and performance of electric systems by enabling nearly lossless power transmission.
As part of the push towards decarbonising aviation by 2050, hydrogen-powered aircraft are being viewed as a key solution. The collaboration with Toshiba aims to overcome current limitations in electric motors, paving the way for next-generation hydrogen aircraft designs. Grzegorz Ombach, Senior Vice President at Airbus, noted that this partnership could unlock new design possibilities, marking a significant step forward for superconducting motor technology.
Toshiba’s extensive experience in superconducting and motor drive technologies makes it a strong partner for this endeavour. Tsutomu Takeuchi, responsible for Toshiba’s Power Systems business, highlighted the potential impact of superconducting technologies on the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce emissions.
The two companies plan to co-develop a two-megawatt superconducting motor. This agreement, signed during Japan Aerospace 2024, builds on Airbus’ decade-long work on superconducting technologies. Toshiba, with over 50 years of experience in this field, had already introduced a two-megawatt superconducting motor prototype in 2022.
