Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer research institute FFB in Münster, a new research project will start in April to explore opportunities in the enabler field of electric-powered short distance flights, including the conception of a testing field for electric flying between the partner cities of Enschede and Münster. The project, called MOMO C, requires almost 4 million euros of investment funded by various parties.
This project is financially supported by several Interreg partners, consisting of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate and Energy NRW and the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, the European Union (Regional Development Fund). The project will be carried out by the Fraunhofer research institute FFB, the Universities of Twente and Münster, battery developer Albert Seine GmbH, Twente and Münster/Osnabrück airports, aviation pioneer NRG2fly and the Industrie und Handelskammer (IHK) Nord Westfalen.
The project focuses on a mobile battery based electric charging system which can be driven to the aircraft as an alternative to an ever-fixed charging station. This is a crucial requirement for small and medium size airports to service future electric flying. The project covers the entire process from design to the test phase. For this phase, a dedicated test environment will be developed between Twente Airport and Münster Osnabrück International Airport.
This project shows once again how fruitful German-Dutch cooperation like the TECH.LAND initiative and research projects like MOMO-C can be to generate a sustainable cross-border future and how batteries play an important role in the transition to a sustainable energy system. This global challenge is driven by the Paris Climate Agreement (2015). Legislation and regulations such as the EU Green Part, the German ´Ereneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz´ and the Dutch ´Klimaatakkoord´ make those initiatives more relevant than ever.
