The European Commission has announced its official support for Bertrand Piccard’s Climate Impulse project, which aims to complete the first non-stop, around-the-world flight in a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2030.
The European Union’s backing is symbolic rather than financial, recognising the initiative’s contribution to climate action, technological innovation and European industrial competitiveness. European Commission Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné described hydrogen as a strategic technology that can play a key role in the energy transition and said the aircraft would represent Europe’s ambitions for zero-emission aviation.
Climate Impulse is being led by Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard in partnership with French engineer Raphaël Dinelli. The project, sponsored by Belgian chemical giant Syensqo, plans to use green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy sources, to power the aircraft on its non-stop circumnavigation of the globe without carbon emissions.
Piccard is renowned for pioneering long-distance aviation projects. He completed the first non-stop balloon flight around the world with Brian Jones in 1999 and, together with André Borschberg, flew the solar-powered Solar Impulse aircraft around the world in stages between 2015 and 2016.
