The arrival of H55 in Quebec goes beyond the manufacturing of battery packs to help the aeronautical industry make the electric shift. For the Montreal Saint-Hubert airport, the establishment of this company along its runways illustrates the change in vocation desired by management.
Co-founded by André Borschberg – world record holder for the longest solo flight without refueling with an aircraft without fuel using Solar Impulse – the young company will build its battery pack manufacturing plant on the South Shore from Montreal.
The location will supply the first Canadian customers: Pratt
“We studied several potential sites on the North Shore and South Shore of Montreal and we finally decided to settle near the Saint-Hubert airport,” explained Mr. Borschberg and Martin Larose, general manager, in an interview. of H55. It is close to our customers and a pool of specialized labor. »
In the presence, in particular, of the Federal Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez, the Quebec Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon as well as the Mayor of Longueuil Catherine Fournier, MM. Borschberg and Larose formalized the start of work on Wednesday in the southern suburbs of the metropolis.
Access to the runways at Saint-Hubert airport weighed in the balance at H55. In the short term, the Swiss manufacturer will deliver battery packs to its customers and complete its automated production site. Over a longer horizon, we want to go much further than factory manufacturing.
“In Switzerland, we may be called upon to develop the integration of the propulsion system into a specific aircraft,” explains Mr. Borschberg. It’s an added value that we offer. We are authorized to carry out test flights. We don’t want to build planes, but since these are new technologies, we have to be able to advise our customers on how to integrate them. »
H55 has already established partnerships with Pratt
For Montreal Saint-Hubert airport, the announcement made by H55 marks the realization of efforts spread over several months. Its representatives had, among other things, met Mr. Borschberg and his team during the Paris Air Show in France last June.
Known for its flight schools – a source of noise pollution for nearby residents – the Saint-Hubert airport wishes to move away from its general aviation vocation in favor of innovation as well as research and development. .
H55 is a good example, says the airport’s vice-president, corporate affairs, communications and marketing, Simon-Pierre Diamond.
“Here, there is proximity to a lot of industry players and access to the track,” he says. When we have to test new prototypes, this is a determining factor. H55 marks the start of our new vocation. »
Added to this is the construction of a new terminal, a 200 million project which must welcome its first passengers before the summer of 2025. This project is led by Porter Airlines, which will be its main user with Pascan Aviation.
Year in, year out, the air transport sector represents around 2% of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. Transatlantic flights in a 100% electric plane are not for tomorrow, but electrification is nevertheless underway in “small aviation”, says the co-founder of H55.
“It’s faster and simpler,” says Borschberg. We can introduce new technologies in this niche to demonstrate its usefulness for aviation. Commercial regional transport aviation will be the next step. »
H55 obtained a loan of 10 million from the Trudeau government to establish itself in Quebec. The company is still discussing financial support with the Legault government.
