Rolls-Royce along with easyJet, a British low-cost airline group has announced a new aviation milestone with the testing of the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen. The ground test on the engine was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power. The demonstration 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 decarbonization strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet.
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of United Kingdom said, “The UK is leading the global shift to guilt-free flying, and today’s 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.”