London — Low-cost airline easyJet and aerospace manufacturer Rolls-Royce said they have powered a concept aircraft engine with hydrogen in a world-first.
The companies claimed the ground test was a "major step" towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel.
The test took place at the Ministry of Defence's Boscombe Down site in Amesbury in England. EasyJet and Rolls-Royce formed a partnership in July with the aim of demonstrating that hydrogen could be used in a range of aircraft from the mid-2030s onwards.
Both companies have pledged to reach net zero for carbon emissions by 2050.EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren described the test as "a real success for our partnership team."
He went on: "We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft."
That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.
"The only waste product from using hydrogen as a fuel is water. Rolls-Royce chief technology officer Grazia Vittadini said: "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."
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