Universal Hydrogen is considering in Toulouse to create the hydrogen airplane from 2025
This Tuesday, October 12, Emmanuel Macron unveiled his “France 2030 plan”, an investment plan of 30 billion euros. The Head of State says in particular that he wants to produce the first low-carbon aircraft in France by 2030. A goal imposed by Pierre Farjounel, General Manager of European operations at Universal Hydrogen. A company based in California and which aims to certify a hydrogen aircraft from 2025.
“That’s excellent news”, rejoices Pierre Farjounel, who continues: “There are several objectives that concern us directly. Becoming the leader in green hydrogen, we can only welcome this strategy. Decarbonize the industry as well. And of course, produce a low-carbon aircraft with an ambitious date since all the experts agree that we are more or less around 2035. Emmanuel Macron said 2030, it is a challenge that suits us since we are working on the “retrofit” of aircraft. And therefore, we would be able to put zero-emission planes in flight from 2025. ”
Concretely, Universal Hydrogen seeks to develop liquid hydrogen capsules considering their integration into regional transport aircraft already in service from 2025. “We are working hard with the entire industry. We will not do it alone. Working on” retrofitting “is still avoiding throwing away planes that will be in service, converting them. And that will make it possible to solve a big problem. part of the climate problem since we are attacking a market that corresponds to more than 2,000 aircraft. It is also reducing the environmental footprint from 2025. Still the objective of the Paris agreements which were signed recently. which no longer emits CO2. “
The choice of Toulouse
For Pierre Farjounel from Toulouse, the choice of Toulouse to set up the company’s second engineering and design center is obvious. “It is quite simply the world pole in aeronautics” he explains. “You have the main players there. You have an ecosystem that is extremely rich, so it was obvious. And then, the Toulouse Occitanie region has also put in place a” hydrogen strategy “. -Blagnac is in favor. when we arrived and provided us with a building. We have our partners, Airbus and ATR nearby, so that made perfect sense. “