Rolls-Royce and easyJet have set a new aviation
milestone with the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on
hydrogen.
The ground test was conducted on an early
concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind and
tidal power.
Both companies have set out to prove that hydrogen
can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines
and are already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term
ambition to carry out flight tests.
The test took place at an outdoor test facility at
MOD Boscombe Down in the UK, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A
regional aircraft engine.
Green hydrogen for the tests was
supplied by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), generated using
renewable energy at their hydrogen production and tidal test
facility on Eday in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.
“The UK is leading the global shift to
guilt-free flying, and this test by Rolls-Royce and easyJet is an
exciting demonstration of how business innovation can transform
the way we live our lives,” said Grant Shapps, Secretary of State
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. “This is a true British success story, with the
hydrogen being used to power the jet engine today produced using
tidal and wind energy from the Orkney Islands of Scotland – and is
a prime example of how we can work together to make aviation
cleaner while driving jobs across the country.”
Following analysis of this early concept ground
test, the two companies plan a series of further rig tests leading
up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls- Royce Pearl 15 jet
engine.
Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said, “We are committed to
continuing to support this ground-breaking research because
hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft,
including easyJet-sized aircraft. That will be a huge step forward
in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”
The partnership is inspired by the global,
UN-backed Race to Zero campaign that both companies have signed up
to, committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“The success of this hydrogen test is an
exciting milestone,” said Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology
Officer, Rolls-Royce. “We only announced our partnership with easyJet
in July and we are already off to an incredible start with this
landmark achievement. We are pushing the boundaries to discover
the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help
reshape the future of flight.”
