China's hydrogen-powered drone breaks the one-hour endurance barrier.

On April 8, 2025, a 50-kilogram-class hydrogen-powered drone jointly developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and Tsinghua University completed a 30-hour continuous cross-day-and-night flight in the Qingyang Aviation New City of Chengdu. This not only set a new endurance record for similar domestic aircraft but also, with its internationally leading technical specifications, provided a "Chinese solution" for the global low-altitude economy and green aviation development. Behind this breakthrough progress lies China's systemic innovation in fields such as hydrogen fuel cells, low-temperature startup technology, 5G communication, and optoelectronic payloads, marking China's leap from following to leading in the new energy aviation race.

I. Technological Breakthrough: Three Core Innovations from Laboratory to Practical Application

1. The Disruptive Revolution of Hydrogen Fuel Cells

The hydrogen fuel cell system equipped on this drone, through an integrated flight-engine-control design, controls the fuel cell output power fluctuation within ±2% (the international standard is ±10%), ensuring stable flight even in extreme weather conditions like storms. The core breakthrough lies in using silicon-based catalysts to replace expensive platinum, slashing the fuel cell cost from 8,000 yuan per kilowatt to 1,500 yuan, laying the foundation for large-scale application. Furthermore, the metal plate air-cooled stack developed by the team achieves an energy density of 6.1% (mass hydrogen storage density), three times that of traditional lithium batteries. A hydrogen storage system the size of a briefcase can support 30 hours of continuous flight.

2. Reliability Verification in Extreme Environments

On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of 5,500 meters, the drone withstood the rigorous test of a -40°C ultra-low temperature environment. Through nano-aerogel insulation technology ("ice armor" hydrogen storage), the liquid hydrogen evaporation rate was reduced to one-fifth of similar European and American products, successfully solving the global challenge of low-temperature startup for fuel cells. Test data shows that the system can still achieve one-time ignition success and operate continuously for 30 hours in a -20°C plateau environment, verifying its applicability in complex scenarios such as polar regions and high altitudes.

3. Land-Air Coordination and Intelligent Perception System

Innovatively adopting unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) onboard autonomous release technology, it achieves "UGV + UAV" land-air coordinated operations, completing takeoff and landing demonstrations under non-standard runway conditions, providing a flexible solution for field emergency deployment. The equipped 360-megapixel multispectral camera and thermal imager can clearly identify targets 30 kilometers away at night. Coupled with the 5G airborne module, inspection data is transmitted in real-time to a command center 2,000 kilometers away, with centimeter-level accuracy.

II. Application Scenarios: Multi-dimensional Empowerment from Emergency Disaster Relief to Smart Agriculture

1. Emergency Rescue: Reconstructing the Golden Rescue Timeline

With an 80-kilogram payload capacity, this drone can deliver medical supplies, life-saving equipment, etc. During the 2024 Henan floods, similar models successfully rescued 47 trapped people. Its 30-hour endurance can cover the entire South China Sea. Combined with high-precision optoelectronic payloads, it can track aircraft carrier movement trajectories, with a cost only one-third of the US military's MQ-9 drone, providing a cost-effective solution for maritime emergency response.

2. Smart Agriculture: Solving the Labor Shortage Dilemma

At a coffee plantation base in Yunnan, a single hydrogen-powered drone can cover an operational area of 1,200 mu per sortie, increasing pesticide utilization by 30% and reducing costs by 40%, effectively addressing the shortage of agricultural labor in mountainous areas. Its long-endurance characteristic supports cross-regional farmland monitoring. Combined with AI algorithms for precise pest and disease identification, it promotes the transformation of agricultural production towards intelligence and intensification.

3. Energy and Infrastructure: Pioneering a New Paradigm for Low-altitude Inspection

In offshore oil and gas pipeline inspections conducted in cooperation with CNOOC, a single sortie can cover 200 kilometers of sea area, with efficiency 15 times higher than traditional manual inspections. In the field of power line inspection, the infrared thermal imager equipped on the drone can monitor temperature anomalies on transmission lines in real-time. Combined with 5G data backhaul, fault location accuracy is improved from the hundred-meter level to the centimeter level.

4. Urban Governance: Building a Low-altitude Digital Twin Network

Cities like Chengdu and Shenzhen, totaling 12, have initiated the construction of "hydrogen-powered drone logistics corridors." Pilot data from SF Express shows that hydrogen-powered models can achieve a daily flight duration of 14 hours, 3.2 times that of lithium battery drones. In the future, a 5-hour direct logistics route from Hangzhou to Wuhan is anticipated. Furthermore, the LiDAR and three-dimensional wind field monitoring system equipped on the drones can construct urban low-altitude digital models, providing real-time data support for smart city management.

5. A Milestone for Green Aviation

The zero-carbon emission characteristic of hydrogen fuel cells makes them an ideal substitute for traditional aviation fuel. Taking this drone as an example, the carbon emission reduction from its 30-hour flight is equivalent to planting 1,200 mature trees, providing a feasible path for the global aviation industry's decarbonization. With the improvement of China's network of 350 hydrogen refueling stations, drones can achieve a 12-hour rapid cycle of "flight-refueling-flight again," while the US currently has only 47 hydrogen refueling stations, showing a significant gap.

6. A New Track in Global Competition

This breakthrough directly rewrote the 24-hour endurance record held by the US "Global Observer" drone, marking China's comprehensive leadership in the field of long-endurance drones. An International Energy Agency (IEA) report points out that China's hydrogen-powered drone technology has reached a "commercialization tipping point." It is estimated that the global market size will exceed $50 billion by 2030, with China expected to occupy over 30% of the market share.