Parity Emerges as a ‘First Mover’ in Hydrogen-Powered Aerial Drones

In the field of liquid hydrogen, often referred to as the future energy source that achieves both ‘cleanliness’ and ‘high efficiency,’ Parity is widely recognized as a promising leader.

Parity has participated in the Chungnam Regulation-Free Special Zone’s liquid hydrogen drone flight demonstration, the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI)’s liquid hydrogen locomotive development, and the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT)’s commercial vehicle liquid hydrogen tank development project. The company was also selected for the Defense Innovation Company 100 Project.

Additionally, Parity was the first in Korea to build a liquid hydrogen production facility that meets the additional safety standards of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation using proprietary technology. The company is also in the process of patenting its independently developed core technology for large-scale, energy-efficient liquid hydrogen liquefaction processes. Notably, the liquid hydrogen drone currently under development by Parity is expected to meet all the technical performance requirements of modern warfare, drawing significant attention from various sectors.

Dramatic Improvements in Drone Flight Time

Parity has garnered industry attention by sequentially launching a multirotor drone capable of five-hour flights, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone with 13 hours of continuous flight, and a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle capable of 25 hours of long-duration flight. By dramatically overcoming the flight time limitations of conventional drones, Parity is pioneering new applications for drones through autonomous beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations.

While traditional battery-powered drones are typically limited to short flights of around 30 minutes, Parity’s liquid hydrogen drones can achieve flight times up to ten times longer. This extended endurance makes them suitable not only for military use but also for a wide range of public and civilian applications. Parity’s capabilities were demonstrated when its hydrogen fuel cell drone won the Innovation Technology Award at the World EV Association General Assembly, held during The 11th International e-Mobility Expo at the Jeju International Convention Center on April 30 this year.

Parity plans to begin full-scale commercial production and deployment once it completes long-duration flight demonstrations and obtains product certification for its drones. In addition, the company aims to finish development and commercialization of innovative cargo drones that exceed current weight limits, power packs for AAM, and hydrogen-powered aircraft within the next one to two years. Parity’s goal is to become a true global First Mover in the field of hydrogen-powered aerial drones.

Bold Regulatory Reforms Needed for Liquid Hydrogen

For effective business expansion, Parity is actively pursuing joint product development and sales partnerships with domestic and international aviation mobility companies. Several negotiations are already underway.

In the public and private sectors, Parity plans to establish a service platform based on convergent technologies such as hydrogen mobility, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and autonomous driving, launching these as regional pilot projects. The company is also focusing on building a foundation for demonstration projects and commercialization in collaboration with major corporations specializing in railways, trams, and commercial vehicles.

With its selection as a Defense Innovation Company, Parity intends to further advance its accumulated technology in liquid hydrogen mobility. The company is determined to develop innovative products for various applications that meet the high technical standards required on future battlefields. Parity emphasized its commitment to contributing to the advancement of the defense industry and the innovation of military weapon systems.

Sasun Kim, CEO of Parity, stated, “Abroad, there are already manned aircraft flying with liquid hydrogen as fuel. To ensure Korea does not fall behind in the future mobility race, we must boldly reform unreasonable regulations related to liquid hydrogen and swiftly establish institutional frameworks to enable rapid commercialization.”

Selected for the Defense Innovation Company 100 Project

Last September, Parity was selected for the ‘Defense Innovation Company 100 Project,’ an initiative by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to discover innovative companies that will lead the future defense industry.

In line with policies for decarbonization and the electrification of weapon systems, Parity became the first liquid hydrogen company to participate in this project. The company’s technology, which transforms next-generation energy sources like liquid hydrogen—driving decarbonization and high efficiency—into power packs for diverse future mobility applications, has been recognized as a significant achievement.

Parity’s selection as the first liquid hydrogen company for the Defense Innovation Company 100 Project is particularly meaningful. It demonstrates the potential for military applications of liquid hydrogen in line with the military’s decarbonization policies and the electrification of weapon systems.

Especially noteworthy is Parity’s newly developed liquid hydrogen drone, which is designed for long-duration flight, low noise, low observability, heavy payload capacity, and high-speed operation. This innovative drone is expected to meet all the technical requirements of modern warfare.

Selected as the First Investment Target of the Regulatory Sandbox Dedicated Fund

Located in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, Parity was founded in 2019 and has established a unique position as an energy startup in the emerging field of liquid hydrogen mobility power packs.

Going beyond hydrogen’s role as a clean energy source, Parity is maximizing the advantages of liquid hydrogen as a high-efficiency energy that surpasses fossil fuels. The company is developing innovative power packs for eco-friendly mobility in various sectors, including aviation and land transport, and is working to build a robust hydrogen mobility ecosystem.

Parity’s technology development is focused on sustainable dual-use technology, aiming for expansion into defense, public services, agriculture, logistics, and more. The company also plans to create new business models by integrating related technologies such as plant engineering, hydrogen fuel cells, AI, and big data.

Recently, Parity secured 6 billion KRW in new investment from Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), SJ Investment Partners, and InterValue Partners, bringing its total Series A funding to 13 billion KRW. Previous investments included major institutional investors such as POSCO Investment, KNET Investment Partners LLC, and Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME).

This investment is particularly significant as Parity was selected in July as the first investment target of the Regulatory Sandbox Dedicated Fund by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). The fund targets companies that have received regulatory exemptions in four key areas—robotics, mobility, healthcare, AI, and climate tech—where regulatory improvements have a substantial impact.

Since 2021, Parity has been conducting the ‘Core Technology Development for Liquid Hydrogen Locomotives’ research project led by the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI). With the recent regulatory exemption from MOTIE, Parity plans to complete combination testing within the year, stably supplying and controlling hydrogen from large-capacity liquid hydrogen storage tanks to 400kW-class high-output hydrogen fuel cells for locomotives.

With this latest investment, Parity is accelerating the development of core technologies and production facilities for liquid hydrogen mobility in aviation, land, and maritime sectors. The company also plans to actively enter the liquid hydrogen infrastructure and cryogenic equipment markets, including liquid hydrogen refueling stations and large-scale hydrogen liquefaction and air separation units.

Parity has focused on developing core and fundamental technologies in hydrogen liquefaction and hydrogen mobility power packs within the liquid hydrogen value chain. Over the past three years, the company has successfully completed three policy projects related to liquid hydrogen power packs.

Additionally, as the lead operator for the Chungnam Regulation-Free Special Zone’s long-duration liquid hydrogen drone flight demonstration, Parity established Korea’s first proprietary liquid hydrogen production facility at its Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province plant, in compliance with the Korea Gas Safety Corporation’s ‘additional safety standards.’ With most certification procedures completed, the facility has entered full-scale trial operation.

Breakthrough Technology for Reducing Energy Consumption in Hydrogen Liquefaction Using Ammonia Cold Energy

Parity has also developed technology to reduce the energy required for hydrogen liquefaction.

Recently, the industry has been focusing on Ammonia as a large-scale storage and transport medium for green hydrogen. However, due to its high toxicity and unpleasant odor, Ammonia is not suitable for direct use in mobility or residential applications, making conversion to hydrogen essential.

To improve the efficiency of hydrogen storage and transport, liquefaction is necessary, but this process consumes significant energy. Converting Ammonia, stored at atmospheric pressure after being transported from production sites, into liquid hydrogen requires initial decomposition and purification, followed by further energy-intensive liquefaction.

Parity has addressed this issue by developing an energy-saving technology that utilizes the cold energy of Ammonia.

Sangkyu Lee, Vice President of Parity, who led the technology development, explained, “While Ammonia is being proposed as a key solution for large-scale hydrogen transport, it is crucial not to overlook the value of liquid hydrogen for local storage and delivery to end users. An economical method to connect these two energy forms is essential, and Parity’s proposed technology could provide the answer.”

Miniaturization and Weight Reduction Enable Application to Future Air Mobility

In future mobility, liquid hydrogen is expected to have a distinct advantage in aviation, particularly in drones and urban air mobility (UAM). On land, applications include trains and commercial vehicles. The eco-friendliness of hydrogen, the low noise of fuel cells, and the high energy density of liquid hydrogen per unit weight enable long-duration operation through the miniaturization and weight reduction of power packs.

Parity’s product development strategy focuses on optimizing materials, devices, and design to deliver safe, easy, and optimal technologies tailored to customer needs. Notably, the company has achieved significant progress by applying carbon composite materials—traditionally limited at cryogenic temperatures—to liquid hydrogen tanks, ensuring both weight reduction and safety.

Such innovative technological advancements provide strong competitiveness in the field of carbon-free aviation power systems, where weight reduction is critical, and form the technical foundation for applications in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Parity is receiving various collaboration requests from leading domestic and international aviation mobility companies.

This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.