‘Green’ aero-engine plant to bring 350 skilled jobs to Scottish airport site

Some 350 jobs are in the pipeline after a US company behind green aircraft engines unveiled plans to establish a base in Scotland.

ZeroAvia’s “centre of excellence” will be sited close to Glasgow Airport and produce advanced fuel cell systems for its hydrogen-electric aero engines. The facility is expected to be up and running by 2028.

The firm believes that its technology can significantly cut aviation’s contribution to global warming by emitting only water. It hopes an engine for up to 20-seat planes will enter service next year and it is working on a design for aircraft with between 40 and 80 seats.

ZeroAvia isdeveloping the world’s first zero-emission engines for commercial aviation. Picture: ZeroAvia

The company’s hydrogen centre of excellence and manufacturing facility will be sited within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) in Renfrewshire.

Founder and chief executive Val Miftakhov said: “Scotland has some unique advantages for ZeroAvia with strong aerospace and engineering skills, a burgeoning hydrogen sector and a clear aviation strategy with potential for early adoption of zero-emission flights.

“The aviation industry is on the cusp of the biggest transformation since the advent of the jet age, with entirely new propulsion systems set to power the next era of aviation - cleaner flights, better economics and better experiences for all. With this new facility, Scotland has a big role to play in driving this transformation.”

Scottish Enterprise has awarded a regional selective assistance grant of £9 million to the project, building on an earlier £20m investment in the company from the taxpayer-backed Scottish National Investment Bank.

Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie said: “It is fantastic that we’ve been able to attract ZeroAvia to Scotland, not only for the jobs they will be creating, but for the hugely important role they can play in ensuring Scotland maintains its reputation for fostering innovative green technologies.

“Making aviation sustainable is crucial to a successful green economy and Scottish Enterprise is fully committed to backing ambitious companies with innovative ideas.”

The new facility will complement ZeroAvia’s propulsion centre of excellence in Washington State which is focusing primarily on electric motors and power electronics. The company also has plans to expand its facilities at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire.

The UK government’s National Wealth Fund has invested £32m in ZeroAvia and the firm has also been awarded £18.5m in UK government research and development funding since 2019.

First Minister John Swinney said: “ZeroAvia’s decision to establish a base in Scotland - creating 350 highly-skilled jobs in the process - is the perfect illustration of Scotland’s growing reputation in the global transition to net zero.

“Attracting inward investment is critical to economic growth and we will continue to work with Scottish Development International and other partners to bring more high quality jobs to Scotland.”

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “Tens of millions of pounds of crucial investment from the UK government is helping to develop the fuel cell technology that will be manufactured here in Scotland at this new facility. It will create and sustain hundreds of skilled Scottish jobs, help achieve our net zero goals, and boost the economy.”

World’s first hydrogen-powered passenger flights could take off in Orkney