Rolls Royce, easyJet partner to develop hydrogen combustion engine tech

Aerospace company Rolls-Royce and low-cost airline EasyJet have partnered to develop hydrogen combustion engine technology to power aircraft.

In a statement, London-listed Rolls-Royce said the two companies would work together on a range of ground-based tests slated to begin this year. The statement mentioned that the objective of the partnership is to demonstrate that hydrogen has the potential to power a range of aircraft from the mid-2030s onwards.

The collaboration is called H2ZERO. Rolls-Royce said it will bring its expertise in engine development to the project while easyJet will share its knowledge and experience with airline operations and will invest in the test program.

“We at Rolls-Royce want to be ready to pioneer sustainability with whatever the future requires, be it hydrogen, electric power, sustainable aviation fuel, or gas turbine efficiency,” said Grazia Vittadini, chief technology and strategy officer for Rolls-Royce.