Wrocław University of Science and Technology is taking part in the international HECATE project to develop a hybrid-electric powered aircraft. The research will be carried out by teams of researchers from the electrical faculty and the department of geoengineering, mining, and geology.
European Union countries want to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and this also applies to the aviation industry. One of the solutions to this is the development of small hybrid-electric passenger aircraft that could operate regional air links on the Old Continent.
This is precisely the main objective of the HECATE (Hybrid-ElectriC regional Aircraft distribution Technologies) project, which involves 37 companies, universities, and research units from eleven countries. Collins Aerospace has been appointed coordinator of the project with a budget of more than €45 million. The first, conceptual stage of research will be completed in three years’ time, with a prototype aircraft expected to be ready in 2035.
