TRSDC picks ZeroAvia for RedSea zero-emission flights
FARNBOROUGH (England), July 24, 2022
ZeroAvia, the leader in developing zero-emission solutions for commercial aviation, said it has signed a partnership deal with Saudi-based The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) to test and develop zero-emission travel across its new luxury tourism destination with a focus on environmental sustainability and regeneration.
The partnership is part of TRSDC's ambition to offer fully sustainable connectivity across its destination, including zero-emission flights. It will join forces with ZeroAvia to develop zero-emission flights for luxury tourism.
Under this agreement, the duo will work together to develop the technology, including collaborating on a roadmap for delivering the production, supply and infrastructure necessary to support hydrogen-powered air travel in Saudi Arabia.
TRSDC plans to operate a fleet of around 30 seaplane variants of the Cessna Caravan to transport guests across the destination and has commissioned ZeroAvia to explore retrofitting the planes with its powertrain technology and test its viability for offering clean, commercial travel.
A pioneer in zero-emission aviation, ZeroAvia has identified hydrogen-electric powertrains – where fuel cells use hydrogen in a chemical reaction to generate electricity which powers electric motors – as the most practical, economical, and furthest reaching solution for reducing aviation's climate change and clean air impacts.
The development of the 600kW powertrain is part of Project HyFlyer II, supported in part by an Aerospace Technology Institute grant from the UK Government, said the statement from the UK group.
The developer behind the world's most ambitious regenerative tourism project, TRSDC said it aims to set new standards in sustainable development and position Saudi Arabia on the global tourism map.
The project is being developed over 28,000 sq km of pristine lands and waters along Saudi Arabia's west coast and includes a vast archipelago of more than 90 pristine islands.
The destination also features sweeping desert dunes, mountain canyons, dormant volcanoes, and ancient cultural and heritage sites.
It is designed to include hotels, residential properties, leisure, commercial and entertainment amenities, as well as supporting infrastructure that emphasizes renewable energy and water conservation and re-use, as well as a circular waste management system to achieve zero waste to landfill.
Announcing the partnership deal, CEO John Pagano said: "In order to achieve our ambitions, we've had to become much more than a real estate developer. We are an incubator of ideas, leveraging the most innovative concepts and technologies to help us deliver a new archetype for tourism, which pushes beyond sustainability to deliver regeneration for people and planet. Clean, green transport is fundamental to realizing that aim, which is why we're working with forward-thinking partners such as ZeroAvia, to bring about a new way of travelling."
James Peck, VP Business Development at ZeroAvia, said: "TRSDC recognizes the potential of zero-emission propulsion in ensuring that travel across the resort plays its part in the overall sustainability ambitions of the project."
"Trialing ZeroAvia's 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrains for the Caravan means tourists could be taking these zero-emission flights to the destination by the middle of this decade," stated Peck.
Andreas Flourou, Executive Director, Operations (Mobility) at TRSDC, said: "As we gear up to welcome our first guests early next year, the topic of smart and sustainable mobility is a hot one. We are actively engaging with industry-leading partners to help us identify and deliver the solutions we need spanning land, sea and air transportation."
"ZeroAvia is a leader in supplying zero-emission aircraft and we're excited to bring them on board as a valuable partner as we seek to create the world's most ambitious regenerative tourism destination," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
