The Zhitong Finance App learned that Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc) said on Monday that the company has successfully launched a hydrogen fueled aircraft engine. This is the first case in the world aviation industry, and marks an important step in proving that hydrogen fuel may be the key to decarbonizing air travel.
Currently, Rolls-Royce and its test project partner EasyJY.US (ESYJY.US) are seeking proof that hydrogen can safely and effectively power civil aero engines. Rolls-Royce said on Monday that ground tests used a modified Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine that uses green hydrogen from wind and tidal energy.
Additionally, the two companies said they are already planning a second set of tests, with the longer-term goal of conducting flight tests.
According to information, hydrogen is one of many competing technologies that can help the aviation industry achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
In this context, aircraft manufacturer Airbus (EADSY.US) is collaborating with French-American engine manufacturer CFM International to test hydrogen power technology. In February of this year, Airbus also stated that it plans to install a specially modified next-generation engine at the rear of a “Big Mac in the Sky” A380 test aircraft.
However, the aircraft manufacturer informed the European Union in 2021 that most aircraft will still rely on traditional jet engines until at least 2050. One factor is that switching to hydrogen-powered engines requires a complete redesign of the airframe and airport infrastructure.
Eric Schulz, CEO of consulting firm SHZ Consulting, also said that the design changes are huge and require more than one generation of aircraft to achieve them.
Other technologies supported by companies such as Rolls-Royce also included only electric engines and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initially suitable for short flights.
Also, although engines that have already been put into use can use a mixture of SAF and conventional fuel, production of this fuel is currently very low. This fuel can eventually be produced by combining carbon captured from the air with green hydrogen, but this process is energy intensive and has not yet been produced on a large scale.