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World first in Wiltshire as Rolls-Royce and easyJet test hydrogen powered jet
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 . It marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero carbon aviation fuel of the future and is a key proof point in the decarbonisation strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet .
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 longerterm ambition to carry out flight tests .
The test took place at an outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down , using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine . Green hydrogen for the tests was supplied by EMEC ( European Marine Energy Centre ), generated using renewable energy at their hydrogen production and tidal test facility on Eday in the Orkney Islands .
Secretary of State for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy , Grant Shapps , said , “ The UK is leading the global shift to guiltfree flying , and the test by Rolls-Royce and easyJet is an exciting demonstration of how business innovation can transform the way we live our lives .
“ 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 .”
Grazia Vittadini , Chief Technology Officer ,
Rolls-Royce , said , “ The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone . We only announced our partnership with easyJet in July 2022 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 .”
“ The UK is leading the global shift to guilt-free flying ”
Johan Lundgren , CEO of easyJet , added , “ This is a real success for our partnership team . We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft , including easyJetsized aircraft . That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050 .”
Following analysis of this early concept ground test , the partnership plans a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine .
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 .
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