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Rolls-Royce to use green hydrogen in jet engine tests

LONDON — Plans to reduce aviation’s significant environmental impact take the next step this week rolls royce When easy jet It is said that a ground test of a jet engine using hydrogen produced by tidal power generation and wind power generation was carried out.

This week’s statement should not be confused with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, which is owned by aerospace giant Rolls-Royce. BMW — described the news as a “milestone” and said it was “the world’s first run of a modern aircraft engine on hydrogen”.

Conducted at an outdoor site in the UK, the test used a modified London-listed Rolls-Royce regional aircraft engine.

Hydrogen was supplied from facilities of the European Marine Energy Center in Orkney, an archipelago in the waters north of mainland Scotland. Since its launch in 2003, EMEC has become a major hub for wave and tidal power generation.

The UK’s Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Grant Shaps, said the test was “an exciting demonstration of how business innovation can transform our lives”. said.

“This is a true British success story, with hydrogen being used to power jet engines that are now being manufactured using tidal and wind energy from the Orkney Islands in Scotland,” added Shapps. I was.

Uses of hydrogen

Described by the International Energy Agency as a “versatile energy carrier,” hydrogen has many uses and can be deployed in a wide range of industries.

It can be created in various ways. One method involves electrolysis, in which an electric current splits water into oxygen and hydrogen.

Some call it “green” or “renewable” hydrogen when the power used in this process comes from a renewable energy source such as wind or tidal power. Today, most hydrogen production is based on fossil fuels.

Using hydrogen to power an internal combustion engine is different from hydrogen fuel cell technology. Where hydrogen from the tank mixes with oxygen to generate electricity.

As According to the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center: “Fuel cell electric vehicles emit only water vapor and warm air, no tailpipe exhaust.”

Hydrogen ICE, by contrast, can produce other emissions. “Hydrogen engines emit very little CO2, close to zero, but can produce nitrogen oxides or NOx.” Cumminsengine manufacturers, Say.

Industry aim

The environmental impact of aviation is substantial, with the World Wildlife Fund describing aviation as “one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change.” .

WWF also says air travel is “the most carbon-intensive activity an individual can do today.”

Earlier this year, CEO Guillaume Faury said: airbustold CNBC that the airline industry ‘may face significant hurdles’ We must achieve decarbonization at an appropriate pace. “

Foley added that the hydrogen plane is the “ultimate solution” in the medium to long term.

While there is growing excitement in some quarters about hydrogen aircraft and their potential, a significant amount of work remains to be done to commercialize and scale the technology.

In an interview with CNBC last year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary looked cautious Regarding the outlook for emerging technologies in the sector.

“I think…we should be honest again,” he said. “Certainly for the next decade … I don’t think there will be a technology that will replace carbon or jet aviation.”

“…hydrogen fuels, sustainable fuels, electric propulsion systems are not in sight. Certainly not before 2030,” O’Leary added.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/02/rolls-royce-uses-green-hydrogen-in-jet-engine-test.html Rolls-Royce to use green hydrogen in jet engine tests

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