Rolls-Royce and easyJet have just achieved a new milestone within the history of aviation: the world's very first test run of a modern aero engine that is solely powered by hydrogen.
The test run was conducted on the ground using green hydrogen powered by wind and tidal power. This marks the first step in what could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future.
Hydrogen has been seen as one solution to make the airline industry more sustainable for years now, and this is proof of that.
This also speaks massive volumes for the decarbonization strategies that both Rolls-Royce and easyJet, two companies that first announced their partnership in the summer of 2022 right after they signed up to the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign.
"The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. We only announced our partnership with easyJet in July, and we are already off to an incredible start with this landmark achievement. We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight," said Rolls-Royce Chief Technology Officer Grazia Vittadini.