Rolls Royce, together with easyJet, has revealed a test to run an aero engine on green hydrogen has been successful.
The trial was held at MoD Boscombe Down earlier this week using a converted Rolls Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine.
Engineers used green hydrogen, supplied by the European Marine Energy Centre and generated by wind and tidal power in Orkney, for the test, which marked a major milestone towards the development of carbon neutral air travel.
Chief executive officer of easyJet Johan Lundgren said: “We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft”
He added: “That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”
Rolls Royce’s chief technology officer Grazia Vittadini acknowledged the test was a “exciting milestone” and the beginning of the discovery regarding the “carbon possibilities of hydrogen”.
Further tests are in the pipeline before eventual flight assessments using hydrogen instead of aviation fuel.
The UK looks to be on its way to achieving its zero-carbon air travel by 2050, as Rolls Royce and easyJet are not the only ones developing green jets.
Vertical Space recently revealed its new electric aircraft, which took its first flight in October. The VX4 eVTOL was tethered to the ground while pilot Justin Paines took control of the aircraft, with the company hoping it will be ready for passengers by 2025.
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