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Brisbane-based green technology startup Stralis Aircraft has teamed up with Central Queensland University, ramping up plans to develop a hydrogen-electric propulsion system that it hopes will sustainably power the aviation industry.
The partnership, supported by the Regional University Industry Collaboration (RUIC) Program, is aiming to create a heat management system for a high temperature proton-exchange membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cell system that will help accelerate efforts by Stralis to integrate the fuel cell into the company’s existing hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Ultimately, Stralis, which last year secured government funding that could put it on track to operate the first piloted hydrogen-electric flight in the southern hemisphere later this year, is aiming to manufacture the systems and the aircraft in Queensland.
Stralis Aircraft co-founder and chief technical officer Stuart Johnstone sees the collaboration with CQU as “imperative” to the success of the next phase of its hydrogen-electric aviation plans.
“Stralis was pleased to have secured matched-funding through the RUIC Program to work in collaboration with CQU to design a cooling system for our unique high-temperature PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells,” says Johnstone.
“This will increase our test capability, and the findings will inform development and build of our hydrogen-electric propulsion system for aircraft, which we plan to test with a Bonanza A36 aircraft in Queensland late 2025.”
Stralis is working to convert a conventional single-engine Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, known as “Bonnie”, into a 200kW Hydrogen-Electric aircraft to demonstrate the capabilities of zero-carbon emissions propulsion technology.
The company plans to fly the hydrogen-powered aircraft from Gladstone to Brisbane and, in the process, demonstrate a viable path to decarbonising the aviation industry.
The small aircraft is a test platform, paving the way for the retrofit of a 15-seat Beech 1900D aircraft intended for the first passenger flights between Brisbane Airport and Gladstone Airport, operated by launch customer Skytrans.
The RUIC Program, which is funded by the Queensland Government and delivered by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, connects small to medium enterprises with regional universities to undertake collaborative research partnerships across Queensland.
“The RUIC Program empowers SMEs like Stralis to transform ambitious ideas into reality,” says Dr George Feast, CSIRO’s SME Connect Programs director.
“We’re thrilled to support this groundbreaking project, showcasing how collaborative research projects can drive innovation and create industry-wide impact.”
Dr Michael Opolot, the senior research fellow for hydrogen and renewable energy at CQU, sees the collaboration as critical to advancing knowledge and translating innovation into industrial applications.
“The combined experience of the teams at Stralis and the university provide a great opportunity to advance learnings for a robust, high temperature cooling system,” says Opolot
The research program will be undertaken CQUniversity’s Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy at Gladstone.
According to Jonathon Love, Professor in Hydrogen at CQU, the university research will play a key role in supporting the ambitions of local innovation startups.
“CQUniversity is very pleased that this is being made possible through the RUIC Program so that CQUniversity’s Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy can provide its expertise at Gladstone to help Stralis advance their innovative liquid hydrogen fuelled HT-PEM fuel cell electric propulsion system towards their exciting first test flight,” says Love, who has more than 30 years’ experience in hydrogen and fuel-cell research in both private industry and academia.
Stralis Aircraft and CQU are members of the Hydrogen Flight Alliance, a Queensland-based industry group that is working towards Australia’s first commercial emissions-free hydrogen flight.
Among new alliance members are Fortescue, Hypersonix, Royal Flying Doctors Service Queensland Section and Wellcamp Airport, which have joined founding members Stralis Aircraft, Skytrans Airlines, Aviation Australia, Brisbane Airport, BOC, CQUniversity, Gladstone Airport, Griffith University, H2 Energy Company and QUT.
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