- Intelligent Energy makes its first major appearance in China at the 2026 International Low Altitude Economy Expo in Shanghai
- Company to showcase its complete IE-SOAR™ hydrogen fuel cell range for commercial UAVs
- Fuel cells deliver flight times three to five times longer than battery-powered aircraft and enable rapid refuelling for commercial drone operations
LOUGHBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intelligent Energy (IE), one of the world’s leading hydrogen fuel cell manufacturers, is expanding its presence in China with its debut at the 2026 International Low Altitude Economy Expo in Shanghai.
The exhibition marks Intelligent Energy’s first opportunity to present its IE-SOAR™ hydrogen fuel cell systems to Chinese UAV manufacturers and operators, as China rapidly expands its low-altitude economy through investment in commercial drone applications. The company brings almost a decade of commercial deployment experience, with hundreds of fuel cell systems operating across Europe, North America and Asia.
Compared with battery-powered aircraft, IE’s fuel cells can deliver flight times three to five times longer while emitting only water vapour. Designed as integrated power systems that directly replace battery packs, the IE-SOAR range also enables rapid refuelling, helping operators keep aircraft in the air for longer with minimal downtime.
Exhibiting at stand C245, Intelligent Energy will showcase its complete IE-SOAR product portfolio, including 800W, 1.2kW and 2.4kW fuel cell systems for fixed-wing, rotary-wing and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft. Visitors will also see a fixed-wing UAV fitted with an integrated IE-SOAR system, alongside examples of commercial platforms already operating with the technology around the world.
China has identified the low-altitude economy as a strategic national priority, driving investment in commercial drone applications ranging from infrastructure inspection and logistics to emergency response, surveying and urban air mobility. Many of these missions require aircraft to stay airborne for extended periods or operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), where battery limitations can become a constraint.
Since entering the UAV market in 2016, Intelligent Energy has deployed hundreds of hydrogen fuel cell systems supporting commercial operations including pipeline inspection, offshore wind inspection, surveying, logistics, surveillance and BVLOS missions.
Martin Schaefer, Operations Director at Intelligent Energy, said:
“China’s low-altitude economy is developing rapidly, and we see enormous potential for hydrogen fuel cells as those aircraft take on longer and more demanding missions.
“We’ve spent almost a decade supplying UAV fuel cell systems for commercial applications around the world, and this exhibition is an opportunity to show Chinese manufacturers what our technology can already deliver.
“Just as importantly, it’s a chance to understand the challenges they’re solving and work with them to integrate our products into the next generation of UAV platforms.”
The 2026 International Low Altitude Economy Expo takes place in Shanghai from 22-25 July. Intelligent Energy will be exhibiting on stand C245.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae0bc88a-9114-4913-89fd-7984767928d5