A complete solution for advanced air mobility

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A complete solution for advanced air mobility

Last year, Rolls-Royce pledged to play a crucial role in enabling the sectors in which we operate to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, we know that one of the greatest challenges to enabling a net zero carbon future is supporting an ever-growing and ever-mobilising population.

With air passenger numbers due to double to 8.2 million by 2037, the development of all-electric and hybrid-electric propulsion to power advanced air mobility (AAM) is becoming a billion-dollar industry. In a recent study conducted together with Roland Berger, we concluded that, in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region alone, the AAM market could deliver $36.9 billion of service revenue by 2050. The market demand is clear.

Meeting the demand for power

Estimates show that around 15,000 electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) will be needed across 30 major cities by 2035 to support the demand for intracity travel alone. Whether transporting light cargo or connecting passengers, this increase in air mobility requires a wide infrastructure, necessitating up to 2,500 vertiports where aircraft can charge at speed and at high wattage.

Globally, existing airports and helipads will play a vital role in connecting routes and networks for commuter aircraft and urban air mobility, but a variety of charging ports and technologies will be needed to support the range of new all-electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. Alongside this, the power demand to charge these aircraft and run even low initial operations will exceed what modern airports can support. For many regions where airports are already subsidised by the state or community, this poses a huge financial challenge.

Leading the way for advanced air mobility

At Rolls-Royce, we are the leading provider of power and propulsion for advanced air mobility. Using our technological expertise in energy storage, electrical systems, and battery management, we are developing a modular and scalable portfolio of products to power all-electric and hybrid-electric aircraft and are delivering this to a broad range of markets alongside a suite of maintenance services.

Now, our Electrical and Power Systems businesses are working together to offer smart, sustainable, and cost-effective charging solutions to enable advanced aircraft mobility, across the entire energy infrastructure.

Enabling clean energy solutions

Enabling clean energy solutions

We’re developing sustainable power solutions for airports and other advanced air mobility hubs, such as mtu Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) that can cope with increased energy demand without compromising the reliability of the power supply, while significantly reducing operating costs.

Alongside this, the mtu microgrid solution from Rolls-Royce is able to integrate renewable energies, such as photovoltaics electrolyzers or fuel cells that are used on-site power generation to support safety-critical operations or enable the site to go “off-grid” for example in at more remote locations. And to really optimize for low cost and maximize sustainability the ‘microgrid controller’ mtu EnergetIQ is adding the required intelligence.

The time to act is now

But time is of the essence. To develop key infrastructures at scale, these energy solutions can be delivered as a service, enabling customers to install necessary hardware without costly upfront investment and with the ability to upgrade later. This is something Rolls-Royce is already planning to facilitate.

By collaborating with leading industry partners like Luxaviation, will be able to support large networks centred around existing sites at Airports, enabling us to develop a solid advanced air mobility infrastructure that is set to be in operation by 2025.

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