Syensqo Materials Selected for Hydrogen-Powered Global Flight

Syensqo, a specialty materials company headquartered in Brussels, marked two years of its partnership with the Climate Impulse project, confirming that its ion-exchange polymer will be used in the aircraft’s fuel cell system, according to the company.

The Climate Impulse initiative aims to complete a zero-emission, nonstop round-the-world flight powered by green hydrogen. Syensqo said its Aquivion ion-exchange polymer will be part of the fuel cell membrane electrode assembly to support the aircraft’s range performance.

Major aircraft structures, including the wings, cockpit and fuselage, are being manufactured using the company’s composite materials. According to the company, those components are being produced in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, and the aircraft is expected to reach completion by the end of the year, followed by initial test flights in Châteauroux.

As the project’s main technology partner, Syensqo said it is contributing advanced materials, application engineering and system-level development. The collaboration also draws on the company’s green hydrogen laboratory in Bollate, Italy, which supports research, testing and validation across the hydrogen value chain.

The project, launched in 2024, targets a nine-day, nonstop circumnavigation using green hydrogen and fuel cells. According to earlier project information, the aircraft must maintain liquid hydrogen at about −253°C during flight while using lightweight composite structures and fuel-cell materials to achieve the required efficiency and range.