Ebara Elliott Energy Wins LH2 Pump Contract for Airbus-Led GOLIAT Aviation Project

Ebara Elliott Energy has secured a contract from Chart Ferox, a subsidiary of Chart Industries, to supply a specialized liquid hydrogen pump system for integration into a hydrogen refueling trailer. The announcement marks EEE's commercial entry into the liquid hydrogen aviation infrastructure market.

What Is the GOLIAT Project?

The liquid hydrogen pump will support Chart Ferox's role as a partner in GOLIAT (Ground Operations of Liquid hydrogen Aircraft), a European consortium coordinated by Airbus and comprising 15 EU partners. GOLIAT is backed by the EU's Horizon Europe framework and is designed to mature, standardize, and demonstrate high-flow LH2 handling and refueling technologies scaled for future large commercial aircraft ground operations, with net-zero carbon targets as a primary driver.¹

Chart Ferox, a.s., headquartered in the Czech Republic, is developing a high-performance hydrogen refueling trailer that will incorporate the EEE pump system. According to the announcement, the trailer is slated for testing in Bristol, U.K., in 2028, with equipment delivery to Chart Ferox preceding that milestone.¹

Why Liquid Hydrogen Pumping Presents Unique Engineering Challenges

Liquid hydrogen presents some of the most demanding conditions in cryogenic rotating equipment: a boiling point of approximately minus 253 degrees Celsius, extremely low density and viscosity, and a high propensity for cavitation. Achieving reliable, high-flow pumping under these conditions requires precision engineering of wetted materials, seal systems, and bearing configurations capable of sustaining performance at cryogenic temperatures over extended operational cycles.

For aviation refueling applications, those demands intensify further. Ground refueling systems for large commercial aircraft must deliver high volumetric flow rates within tight time windows, placing additional emphasis on pump hydraulic efficiency and mechanical reliability. Industry analysts tracking the hydrogen aviation sector have highlighted LH2 ground infrastructure — including high-capacity transfer pumps, storage systems, and cryogenic hoses — as among the most technically complex elements of any airport hydrogen ecosystem.²

EEE's Cryogenic Positioning and Engineering Rationale

Ebara Elliott Energy's Jeannette, Pa.-based engineering team was selected by Chart Ferox because it delivered what the announcement describes as "the market's premier technical solution" combined with dedicated project support. The company cited its existing rotating equipment expertise and active cryogenic validation development programs as the technical foundation for the award.¹

Shane Reph, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Ebara Elliott Energy, framed the contract as a strategic milestone rather than a standalone project. "While this marks our first commercial application for an aviation refueling prototype, it builds directly upon our deep rotating equipment expertise and active cryogenic validation developments," Reph said. "The elite performance of our engineering team proves that EEE is ready to deliver the precise technical solutions, localized agility, and operational excellence required by the world's most demanding clean energy consortia."¹

Initial engineering and design validation work is currently underway.¹

Implications for the Rotating Equipment Industry

For turbomachinery and rotating equipment professionals, the contract signals an accelerating demand for cryogenic pump technology purpose-built for hydrogen energy infrastructure — a segment that has historically been a niche corner of the market but is scaling rapidly alongside hydrogen aviation investment in Europe and beyond.

The GOLIAT project's connection to Airbus and EU Horizon Europe funding underscores that these programs are moving toward hardware demonstration phases, not merely feasibility studies. Equipment suppliers with validated cryogenic rotating machinery capabilities — and the engineering agility to meet consortium-level project demands — are increasingly well-positioned as program timelines compress toward the 2028 testing window.

References:
1. Ebara Elliott Energy. "Ebara Elliott Energy Secures Liquid Hydrogen Pump Contract for Chart Ferox, a.s." Sept. 16, 2026.
2. European Commission CORDIS. "GOLIAT Project — Ground Operations of Liquid hydrogen Aircraft." Horizon Europe.