The Chinese first flew a 1.2-ton drone powered by liquid hydrogen

The other day in China, a heavy heavy unmanned aerial vehicle with vertical takeoff and landing, whose engines run on hydrogen fuel cells, took off for the first time. The take-off weight of the hydrogen electric aircraft was 1.2 tons. The main engines of the device are rotary, which allows it, after a vertical take-off, to switch to horizontal flight like an airplane.

Image Source: Kuai Technology

The design of the hydrogen cryogenic fuel system of the DF600 Jinghong drone, designed for a payload of 120–160 kg, was carried out by Tongchen Cryogenic. This organization was founded in July 2023 by scientists from the School of Energy Dynamics at Xi’an Jiaotong University. The company’s founders have extensive experience in developing key technologies for liquefying, compacting, efficiently storing and transporting hydrogen, as well as conducting fundamental research into its safe use.

The aircraft itself was designed by another company, Dream Chasing Sky Technology, founded by scientists from Tsinghua University. Powerful air-cooled hydrogen fuel cells were provided and adapted for the drone by Beijing Jiaqing. It is reported that the fuel reserve and system performance are enough for an unmanned flight at a distance of up to 1000 km.

The DF600 Jinghong vertical take-off and landing vehicle, weighing 1.2 tons, took to the skies on January 9, 2025, in the Fengxiang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, located in Baoji City. The tests were successful, and the project partners will continue to work on improving the flight systems, as well as on infrastructure elements for the delivery, storage and operation of hydrogen.

Hydrogen plays a key role in the future decarbonised energy and transport landscape as it is the most energy-dense clean fuel.