Global Hydrogen-electric Drones Market 2024 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2030

According to our (Global Info Research) latest study, the global Hydrogen-electric Drones market size was valued at US$ 126 million in 2023 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 356 million by 2030 with a CAGR of 15.2% during review period.

A hydrogen-electric drone refers to an unmanned aircraft that uses a hydrogen fuel cell as its primary power source. The hydrogen carried on board and naturally aspirated oxygen undergo a chemical reaction under the catalysis of a catalyst to generate electrical energy, which then drives the electric motor, providing the UAV with the power necessary for flight.

Product Advantages and Classification Methods

The current electric drone market primarily relies on lithium batteries as a power source. However, lithium batteries' stability and endurance in harsh environments such as high altitudes, severe cold, or high temperatures are difficult to guarantee. In contrast, hydrogen fuel cells boast high energy density and significantly stronger environmental adaptability compared to lithium batteries, offering notable advantages in endurance. Their rapid hydrogen replenishment capability also makes them superior in scenarios requiring continuous operation.

Hydrogen-eletric drones can be classified into multi-rotor drones, fixed-wing drones, and hybrid-wing drones based on their models. And they can also be divided into purely hydrogen-powered drones, hydrogen-hybrid drones and others based on their power supply methods.

Market Development History and Key Participants

The investment and research and development of hydrogen-electric drones began as early as 2003, funded by NASA and led by AeroVironment (USA), which successfully manufactured the world's first liquid hydrogen-powered drone two years later. In China, the official journey began in 2010 with Taiwan successfully test-flying the country's first fuel cell drone. And two years later, in 2012, the "Feiyue-1," jointly developed by Tongji University and Shanghai Aokesai Aircraft Company, successfully made its first flight in Shanghai, marking the entrance of China's hydrogen fuel cell drone exploration into the development stage. In June of the same year, Boeing conducted the first autonomous flight of a hydrogen-powered drone using liquid hydrogen fuel. The development of hydrogen fuel cells has also accelerated the commercialization of hydrogen-powered drones. In 2020, China officially issued the national standard "Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Generation Systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (GB/T 38954-2020)," providing a basis for the development norms of hydrogen-powered drones. By 2024, hydrogen-powered drones had undergone rapid development, with China achieving the first flights of various types of hydrogen-powered drones, including those with a hundred-kilometer-long range, liquid hydrogen power, and solar-hydrogen hybrid power.

Internationally, key participants include ISS Aerospace (Berkshire, UK), HevenDrones (Miami, USA), Doosan Mobility Innovation (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea), H3 Dynamics (Singapore), and others. Domestic enterprises such as Hydrogen Craft (Huzhou, Zhejiang), DJI (Shenzhen), JOUAV (Chengdu, Sichuan), and HiTS Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd (Shanghai) are also actively engaged in the design and manufacture of hydrogen-eletric drones.

Market Development Opportunities and Challenges

In terms of market demand, drones are increasingly being applied in various industries, and the demand for drones with long endurance and high stability is gradually increasing. However, the manufacturing cost of hydrogen-powered drones remains high, and there is significant pressure to reduce costs across the product's key components and the continuous consumption of hydrogen fuel, limiting large-scale commercial applications.

Technologically, upstream enterprises in the hydrogen energy and hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing chains are undergoing rapid development, and the resulting advancements in battery technology, hydrogen storage technology, and other core technologies provide robust impetus for the development of hydrogen-electric drones. However, technological limitations are also one of the challenges facing market development. Technical challenges such as fuel cell power, service life, and the safety and stability of hydrogen storage systems still require ongoing research and development investments to address.

Policy-wise, countries around the world are increasingly focusing on the application of clean energy and have issued relevant policies to support the development of the hydrogen energy industry. As low-emission low-altitude aircraft, additionally, hydrogen-electric drones align well with global trends.

This report is a detailed and comprehensive analysis for global Hydrogen-electric Drones market. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are presented by manufacturers, by region & country, by Type and by Application. As the market is constantly changing, this report explores the competition, supply and demand trends, as well as key factors that contribute to its changing demands across many markets. Company profiles and product examples of selected competitors, along with market share estimates of some of the selected leaders for the year 2024, are provided.

Key Features:

Global Hydrogen-electric Drones market size and forecasts, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (Units), and average selling prices (K US$/Unit), 2019-2030

Global Hydrogen-electric Drones market size and forecasts by region and country, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (Units), and average selling prices (K US$/Unit), 2019-2030

Global Hydrogen-electric Drones market size and forecasts, by Type and by Application, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (Units), and average selling prices (K US$/Unit), 2019-2030

Global Hydrogen-electric Drones market shares of main players, shipments in revenue ($ Million), sales quantity (Units), and ASP (K US$/Unit), 2019-2024

The Primary Objectives in This Report Are:

To determine the size of the total market opportunity of global and key countries

To assess the growth potential for Hydrogen-electric Drones

To forecast future growth in each product and end-use market

To assess competitive factors affecting the marketplace

This report profiles key players in the global Hydrogen-electric Drones market based on the following parameters - company overview, sales quantity, revenue, price, gross margin, product portfolio, geographical presence, and key developments. Key companies covered as a part of this study include Hydrogen Craft, DJI, Liaoning General Aviation Academy, HYDROC Technology, HEYDAY INNOVATION, ISS Aerospace, GADFIN, JOUAV, Hylium-X (Hylium Industries, Inc.), HogreenAir Co., LTD., etc.

This report also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approvals.

Market Segmentation

Hydrogen-electric Drones market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2019-2030, the growth among segments provides accurate calculations and forecasts for consumption value by Type, and by Application in terms of volume and value. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets.

Market segment by Type
Multi-rotor Drones
Fixed-wing Drones
Compound-wing Drones

Market segment by Application
Monitoring and Inspection
Emergency Rescue
Logistics and Transportation
Agriculture, Forest and Plants Protection
Others

Major players covered
Hydrogen Craft
DJI
Liaoning General Aviation Academy
HYDROC Technology
HEYDAY INNOVATION
ISS Aerospace
GADFIN
JOUAV
Hylium-X (Hylium Industries, Inc.)
HogreenAir Co., LTD.
HevenDrones
Shanghai HiTS Hydrogen Power Technology Co., Ltd
H3 Dynamics
Doosan Mobility Innovation.
ALLTECH

Market segment by region, regional analysis covers

North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Rest of South America)

Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:

Chapter 1, to describe Hydrogen-electric Drones product scope, market overview, market estimation caveats and base year.

Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Hydrogen-electric Drones, with price, sales quantity, revenue, and global market share of Hydrogen-electric Drones from 2019 to 2024.

Chapter 3, the Hydrogen-electric Drones competitive situation, sales quantity, revenue, and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.

Chapter 4, the Hydrogen-electric Drones breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales quantity, consumption value, and growth by regions, from 2019 to 2030.

Chapter 5 and 6, to segment the sales by Type and by Application, with sales market share and growth rate by Type, by Application, from 2019 to 2030.

Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales quantity, consumption value, and market share for key countries in the world, from 2019 to 2024.and Hydrogen-electric Drones market forecast, by regions, by Type, and by Application, with sales and revenue, from 2025 to 2030.

Chapter 12, market dynamics, drivers, restraints, trends, and Porters Five Forces analysis.

Chapter 13, the key raw materials and key suppliers, and industry chain of Hydrogen-electric Drones.

Chapter 14 and 15, to describe Hydrogen-electric Drones sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion.