California-based startup H2 Clipper, an aerospace and alternative energy company developing uniquely capable hydrogen-powered airships, announces that it has been selected for inclusion in Dassault Systèmes’ exclusive 3DEXPERIENCE Lab accelerator program.
Participation in the accelerator will help H2 Clipper advance its mission of developing and commercializing a global fleet of 100% green airships that transform the hydrogen and air transport industry.
The H2 Clipper is an airship designed to transport pure hydrogen from where it is least costly to produce to markets where clean energy is most needed. The airship itself will also be powered by green hydrogen to offer a carbon-free form of transportation and produce zero CO2 emissions.
According to the company, it will enable a 100% carbon-free method of transporting freight and other cargo 7-10 times faster than other modes of transport and at a 70% savings over traditional air transport.
The H2 Clipper uses the lifting power of hydrogen to carry 340,000 pounds (150 metric tons) of payload 6,000 miles at 175 mph. With a cargo area of over 265,000 cubic feet, the H2 Clipper has 8 to 10 times more cargo space than any other air freighter and with zero emissions. H2 Clipper anticipates completing a detailed design and construction of a prototype to fly in 2024, with the goal of flying its first full-sized airship in 2027.
The company already has developed a significant body of design and intellectual property assets, heavily relying upon Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA software applications. With its admission into the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab accelerator program, the H2 Clipper team will now have an opportunity to dramatically expand its use of software applications from Dassault Systèmes.
“The aerospace and aviation revolution is being driven by breakthroughs in the use of renewable fuels such as hydrogen, as well as advanced material science and engineering. We are pleased to support H2 Clipper to accelerate maturing these disruptive technologies to serve humankind,” said Frédéric Vacher, Head of Innovation at Dassault Systèmes.
Since filing its first patent in 2008 (granted in 2012), H2 Clipper’s work has been motivated by its longstanding belief that significant green hydrogen production and use is critical to any successful plan to transition key portions of the global economy off fossil fuel and into renewable energy. As more hydrogen projects are announced globally, there’s a growing appreciation among leading analysts that one of the biggest challenges will be how to efficiently transport, distribute, and store hydrogen.
H2 Clipper founder and CEO Rinaldo Brutoco said, “We have been focused on addressing these hydrogen infrastructure issues for more than a decade. We are honored to be selected to join the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab accelerator program. The opportunities this will open for us will greatly help our work of providing a rapidly scalable hydrogen infrastructure solution that is critical to realizing the disruptive potential of hydrogen.”
