Rolls-Royce and easyJet perform world first with hydrogen engine run

News

Rolls-Royce and easyJet have conducted the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen produced from renewable sources.

Rolls-Royce AE2100 Hydrogen Test at Boscombe Down
Rolls-Royce AE2100 Hydrogen Test at Boscombe Down - Rolls-Royce

The ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen and marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero carbon aviation fuel.  The milestone is also said to be a ‘key proof point’ in the decarbonisation strategies of both companies.

Rolls-Royce and easyJet have set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines and are planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term determination to carry out flight tests.

In a statement, Grazia Vittadini, CTO, Rolls-Royce, said: “The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. 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.”

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hydrogen jet engine