New heavy-lift drone powertrain unveiled as record order marks commercial milestone for hydrogen UAVs

• New hydrogen fuel cell powertrain launched, targeting the growing market for long-range fixed-wing UAVs
• Launch follows landmark order for IE-SOAR™ fuel cell systems, the company’s largest for hydrogen UAV propulsion technology to date
• Announcements align with the UK’s Defence Investment Plan commitment to advanced uncrewed systems and a stronger UK drone industry

 Intelligent Energy (IE), one of the world’s leading hydrogen fuel cell manufacturers, has unveiled a new 120kW hydrogen fuel cell power system for heavy-lift fixed-wing drones and secured its largest commercial order to date in the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sector.

The twin milestones come as Intelligent Energy’s UAV business continues to grow, driven by rising demand for hydrogen-powered drones capable of flying further, carrying heavier payloads and operating for longer than battery-powered alternatives.

The announcements follow the UK Government’s commitment to invest £5 billion in drones and autonomous systems through its Defence Investment Plan, reinforcing the UK’s ambition to strengthen its domestic drone industry. They also reflect the growing commercial adoption of hydrogen fuel cells for UAVs.

Compared with battery-powered aircraft, IE’s fuel cells can deliver flight times three to five times longer while emitting only water vapour. They also offer significant advantages over internal combustion engines, including lower noise, less vibration, reduced maintenance and a lower thermal signature, making them particularly well suited to surveillance, defence and security missions.

IE’s new fuel cell system meets growing demand for long-range fixed-wing UAVs capable of carrying payloads of 150kg to 750kg for surveillance, defence, security and logistics missions.

Known as IE-FLIGHT™ 120, the system is the latest addition to Intelligent Energy’s IE-FLIGHT™ range of aerospace fuel cell products. It bridges the gap between the company’s existing IE-SOAR™ systems and the higher-power fuel cell technology it is developing for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and regional aviation.

Earlier this year, Intelligent Energy secured £17 million through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)-backed HEIGHTS programme to accelerate development of its high-power aviation fuel cell systems. The company has also invested in a new high-power fuel cell test centre at Chelveston, Northamptonshire, to support the next phase of development.

Greg Harris, Chief Commercial Officer at Intelligent Energy said:

“The UAV market is moving rapidly towards larger aircraft that need to fly further, carry heavier payloads and stay airborne for much longer. That’s where hydrogen fuel cells have a clear advantage.

“Our new fixed-wing power system demonstrates how our fuel cell technology can scale to an entirely new class of aircraft. It builds on the same platform we’re developing for larger aircraft and shows how hydrogen can unlock new capability across both the UAV and aerospace sectors.

“Combined with a record order for our IE-SOAR technology, this launch underlines a clear trend in the market. Operators are increasingly turning to hydrogen propulsion to achieve longer endurance, greater payload capacity and improved mission capability.”