One step closer to climate-neutral aviation

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One step closer to climate-neutral aviation

The aim is clearly defined, and it is nothing less than ambitious – by 2050 Europe wants to become the first continent to reach climate neutrality. Pioneering, low-carbon technologies are key to achieving this goal and to avoiding the worst effects of climate change by limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Achieving net zero will require the transformation of core systems, such as power generation, transport and the built environment, that support our global economy. Together they represent 73% of annual global CO2 emissions in 2020 – and they are also the very sectors in which reducing emissions is hardest.

Land, sea and air transport contribute 23% of global CO₂ emissions

While air travel contributes 3% of emissions today, it is expected to increase in proportion as other transport modes decarbonise faster. Historically transport has mainly been powered by fossil fuels. Alternatives such as hydrogen and electrification are becoming established for land-based transport. For aviation, the challenge lies in moving away from carbon-intensive fuels without overly compromising on connectivity, economy, affordability and practicality.

The good news is that we are exploring and developing technological options that will help to decarbonise the central pillars of our economy. As a major global power group, we will use our capabilities to drive emissions down across these and other economic sectors. In an environment of both policy and public support, we have the potential to pioneer the game-changing technologies to help deliver a net zero carbon future.

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Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce, and our representative at the Clean Aviation Governing board, said: “We are proud to be amongst the founding members of the EU’s Clean Aviation initiative and to collectively drive forward research and development that will make sustainable aviation a reality. We strongly believe technology can be a force for good and that the transition to net zero is both a societal imperative and a great commercial opportunity.”

Decarbonisation of the skies

A central instrument to accelerating climate neutral aviation will be the European Union’s new Public Private Partnership for climate-neutral aviation, the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU). It represents the world’s most ambitious research and innovation agenda for a sustainable aviation sector that contributes to the EU Green Deal and the EU’s Industrial Strategy.

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“The Clean Aviation initiative will pull together the best talent and capability from both the private and public sectors to develop cutting-edge technologies, and make them available for a transformational leap in aircraft performance in the 2030s,” says Axel Krein, Executive Director, Clean Aviation. “The work will focus on novel hybrid electric and all-electric regional aircraft, innovative short and medium-range aircraft architectures with highly integrated, ultra-efficient thermal propulsion systems, and disruptive technologies enabling hydrogen-powered flight.”

The initiative will be supported by €1.7 billion worth of public funding, while the private sector will deliver additional financial and in-kind contributions that exceed €2.4 billion. Clean Aviation will build on the achievements of the two successive Clean Sky Joint Undertakings, which have supported research and innovation in sustainable aviation technology since 2008 to significantly reduce CO2, NOx and noise emissions. With the UltraFan® development programme and demonstrators, such as ALPS, ALECSys, Advance3 and our megawatt hybrid-electric PGS1 demonstrator Rolls‑Royce is already intensively involved in research and development programmes funded under the Clean Sky and Clean Aviation initiatives.

Projects kicking-off

Three of the new CAJU projects that are being coordinated by Rolls-Royce Deutschland have now been kicked off at the company’s site in Dahlewitz near Berlin.

The launch events were attended by delegates from the consortia partners and key representatives from the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking. The launch events provided the opportunity for all partners to share their organisations’ capabilities and roles in the programme, current activities and planned future work. It also highlighted further potential areas of collaboration across the different work packages and other Clean Aviation activities.

Project HE-ART

Hybrid Electric propulsion system for regional AiRcrafT

Project partners:

Rolls-Royce, Airbus, ATR, Calyos, Capgemini España, CENAERO, CERFACS, CESA, EC Lyon, CNRS, CATEC, GSC, Ingpuls GmbH, INCAS, Leonardo, NTNU, ONERA, Ratier Figeac, Safran, SINTEF, Skylife Engineering, Thiot Ingénierie, UC Louvain, University of Lodz, VKI

Project HE-ART

HE-ART aims to validate the viability of a hybrid electric thermal turboprop (e-TP) on a ground test demonstrator. It comprises a turboprop engine from one of the major partners, an advanced electric drive train and a propeller. The power size of both, the turboprop engine and the electric drive train, is of the size suitable for a regional aircraft application.

Requirements from a representative regional aircraft concept will be outlined and provided to the ground test demonstrator. In turn, requirements from the ground test demonstrator will be worked out and cascaded to the systems, e.g., the technology bricks covering propeller, modular hybrid gearbox, electric drive train, nacelle incl. heat exchanger, hybrid electric turboprop engine, electrical propulsion power distribution & protection and power management.

Project CAVENDISH

Summary: Demonstration of a Pearl 15 modern aeroengine fueled by liquid hydrogen

Project partners: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG, Dassault Aviation, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft - und Raumfahrt e.V., Netherlands Aircraft Company N.V., TU Darmstadt, Stichting Koninklijk Nederlands Lucht - en Ruimtevaartcentrum, Fokker Services BV, Hensoldt Nexeya France, Mahytec SArl, Communaute d'Universites et Etablissements Universite Bourgogne - Franche – Comte, Universite de Franche-Comte, Ecole Nationale Superieure de Mecanique et des Microtechniques, Industria de Turbo Propulsores S.A.U., ITP Externals Sociedad Limitada, Airholding S.A., The chancellor masters and scholars of the University of Cambridge, Loughborough University, Short Brothers plc, Rolls-Royce plc, Embraer SA

Pearl 15 modern aeroengine

CAVENDISH is central to Rolls-Royce’s hydrogen efforts and directly extends our activities around the world’s first run of a modern aero engine on hydrogen at the end of 2022.

Project CAVENDISH focusses specifically on progressing combustor design through to technology demonstration (TRL6). The developed combustion and fuel system technology will then be integrated into a Pearl 15 engine for ground testing. Furthermore, this will prepare the ground to secure a permit to fly and marching on to an eventual demonstration test flight.

Project HEAVEN

HEAVEN – Hydrogen Engine Architecture Virtually Engineered Novelly

Project partners: Rolls-Royce, Aero Transmissions Technologies, ITP, CTA, SKF, DNW,

Technical University of Darmstadt, University Polytechnic of Madrid, DLR, Univeristy of Sheffield, easyJet, Loughborough University, University of Nottingham, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Cranfield University

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Summary: Focus: Ultra-efficient propulsion systems

The consortium is led by Rolls-Royce and contains key academic, research and industrial partners across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. This project will significantly develop our scalable UltraFan® architecture and suite of technologies for future civil aviation opportunities and provide a platform for Hydrogen technology and hybrid electric technology to be suitably incorporated into our civil aerospace portfolio.

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