EasyJet and Rolls-Royce are working on a hydrogen-powered aircraft engine

EasyJet and engine maker Rolls-Royce will jointly focus on developing hydrogen-powered combustion engines. The goal of this collaboration is to demonstrate that hydrogen has the potential to power different types of aircraft from the mid-2030s.

Rolls-Royce contributes its knowledge of developing engines and combustion systems. Budget company EasyJet contributes its operational knowledge and experience and also invests directly in the H2ZERO testing program, as the collaboration is called. The agreement follows a research project the companies started in 2021 to support the use of hydrogen in aviation and achieve zero emissions by 2050.

The program builds on the first experiments with fuel and hydrogen combustion systems being conducted by Rolls-Royce in collaboration with the Universities of Cranfield and Loughborough. The two companies will conduct the first ground test of the Rolls-Royce AE2100 engine in the UK later this year. Next, a large-scale ground test of the Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine will be conducted.