Rolls-Royce and easyJet to perform hydrogen testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY) today announced it has broken ground on a truly unique engine test site to perform outdoor, full-scale gas turbine hydrogen testing. The development of the site and engine testing is in partnership with easyJet and will be located at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY) today announced it has broken ground on a truly unique engine test site to perform outdoor, full-scale gas turbine hydrogen testing. The development of the site and engine testing is in partnership with easyJet and will be located at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

This will be the third Rolls-Royce test stand at NASA Stennis, expanding a relationship with NASA that goes back decades and includes joint research on a variety of aerospace technologies.

This program is part of Rolls-Royce’s goal to develop technologies that meet the world’s growing demand for power while enabling net zero by 2050. The testing will demonstrate the integration of technologies required for 100% hydrogen fuel operation on a modified Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engine. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is providing engineering expertise to Rolls-Royce to achieve this milestone.

In addition to hydrogen research, Rolls-Royce continues to focus on other key elements of its technology strategy – specifically the enhancement of gas turbine engines; promoting and enabling the incorporation of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF); and other forms of power including increased electrification.

Deborah Robinson, Director – Test & Experimental Engineering for Rolls-Royce, said:

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Rolls-Royce is at the forefront of developing technologies that will be needed to reach net zero by 2050. We are excited to partner with other global leaders like easyJet and NASA to explore the viability of aviation decarbonization through the introduction of hydrogen as an alternative fuel."

David Morgan, Chief Operating Officer at easyJet, said:

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We are delighted with the progress our partnership with Rolls-Royce has made and where greater place to do this next phase of testing than at one of NASA’s facilities. It’s a truly remarkable feat to – in just a few short years – go from conceptual design stage to full engine testing with 100% hydrogen, helping take us a step closer to our vision of operating zero-carbon hydrogen-powered aircraft technology in the years to come.”

John Bailey, NASA Stennis Director, said:

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We welcome the opportunity to team with Rolls-Royce on its new test project. Rolls-Royce has been a valued tenant of NASA Stennis for many years, and we look forward to working together with them on this noteworthy endeavor."

Regu Ayyaswamy, Senior Vice President and Global Head of IoT & Digital Engineering, at TCS said,

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TCS’ participation in the hydrogen system program builds on a decade-long partnership of engineering excellence. We will continue to leverage our technology expertise for Rolls-Royce's pursuit of an emission-free alternative to traditional jet fuel. Technology will be a key lever in the development of hydrogen fuel systems and TCS is proud to be a partner in this journey for sustainable aviation."

Hydrogen program

The testing scheduled for NASA Stennis represents the culmination of a comprehensive, global program set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for aerospace engines.

Rolls-Royce also receives support for hydrogen research through the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute HyEST, RACHEL and LH2GT programs, Germany’s LUFO 6 WOTAN program, and the European Union’s Clean Aviation CAVENDISH program.

In 2022, easyJet and Rolls-Royce set a world first by successfully running a modern aero engine, the Rolls-Royce AE2100, on 100% green hydrogen at Boscombe Down, UK.

And last year, Rolls-Royce set another world first when tests on a full annular combustor of a Rolls-Royce Pearl engine at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cologne, Germany, running on 100% hydrogen proved the fuel can be combusted at conditions that represent maximum take-off thrust.

Together, Rolls-Royce and easyJet are committed to being at the forefront of the development of hydrogen combustion engine technology capable of powering a range of aircraft, including those in the narrowbody market segment, from the mid-2030s onwards.

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
  1. Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together; they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries; and enable governments to equip their armed forces with the power to protect.
  2. Rolls-Royce has a presence in 48 countries and customers in more than 150, comprising over 250 commercial large aero engine customers, 160 armed forces and navies and approximately 40,000 active Power Systems customers. We are committed to becoming a net zero company by 2050 and we support our customers to do the same.
  3. Annual underlying revenue was $20.79bn in 2023, underlying operating profit was $2.16bn and free cash flow $1.75bn.
  4. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is publicly traded company (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69)
    www.rolls-royce.com
About easyJet

easyJet is Europe’s leading airline offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports with great value fares and friendly service.

easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried more than 82 million passengers in 2023 with more than 11.3 million travelling for business. The airline has over 300 aircraft flying on nearly 1000 routes to more than 155 airports across 35 countries. Over 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.

easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in eight countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognizing their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised nearly £17m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.

In 2022, easyJet published its roadmap to net zero by 2050. The roadmap, which also features a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernization, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technology, has set an ambitious interim carbon emissions intensity reduction target of 35% by 2035. The airline’s ultimate aim is to fully transition its fleet to zero carbon emission technology, which it will achieve through a number of strategic partnerships including with Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and GKN Aerospace Solutions. Since 2000, the airline has successfully reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometer by one-third. 

Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching nearly 30 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital and operational innovations to make travel easier and more affordable for its passengers.

In 2023 easyJet was named by TIME as one of the World’s Best Companies and a Leader in Diversity 2024 by The Financial Times.

About NASA Stennis

NASA’s Stennis Space Center, located near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is the nation’s largest propulsion test site and a federal city operated by NASA since 1961. NASA and more than 50 federal, state, academic, public, and private aerospace, technology, and research organizations located onsite share in operating costs, which allows tenants to direct more of their money to individual missions. If their combined workforces of more than 5,200 employees were counted as a single entity, Stennis would rank among the Top 10 Mississippi companies in size. The Stennis federal city is a major economic engine for the Gulf Coast region, with an average direct annual impact of more than $846 million within a 50-mile radius.

About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 56 years. Its consulting-led, cognitive powered, portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 601,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 55 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $29 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, and is listed on the BSE and the NSE in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit www.tcs.com.

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