Government Unveils £100m Investment to Propel Greener Aviation Initiatives

The new Labour government unveiled a substantial funding initiative today, dedicating over £100m to support pioneering projects to drastically reduce aviation emissions.

At the opening of the 2024 Farnborough Airshow, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds announced that nearly £103m will be allocated through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme. This funding will back five innovative green aerospace R&D projects.

These projects, spearheaded by GKN Aerospace, Queens University, Rolls-Royce, Short Brothers, and ZeroAvia, focus on developing low and zero-emission technologies, marking a significant stride towards sustainable aviation.

"Our world-class aerospace sector added almost £40bn to the economy last year, and by backing it to pioneer cutting-edge new technologies, we're delivering economic growth and supporting high-skilled jobs in every part of the UK," Reynolds said. "It's fitting that I'm launching this new support here at Farnborough Airshow, where the best British innovation is showcased on the global stage, reinforcing our commitment to placing innovation and manufacturing at the heart of our Industrial Strategy."

ATI CEO Gary Elliott said the agency was "continuing to target investment in world-class research projects that will deliver benefit for UK aerospace: accelerating technology development, growing our manufacturing capability, strengthening our supply chain and ensuring that the sector continues to generate an economic return to the UK." 

"The projects announced today focus on advanced technologies that take us a significant step closer to sustainable aviation, from new lightweight materials to new fuel systems," he added. "We look forward to building on this investment in support of an ambitious Industrial Strategy." 

The projects to secure new funding include the Hot Section Lifting and Materials (HOTLINE) project led by Rolls-Royce, which develops new turbine technologies to reduce unit and life cycle costs. ZeroAvia's Advanced Fuel Cell for Aviation Decarbonisation (AFCAD) project, focusing on advancing high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HTPEM) fuel cell stack technology towards commercialization, is also a key beneficiary.

Additionally, Queens University Belfast is developing new lightweight composite materials, while Short Brothers is focused on reducing material usage in aircraft design. ATI has also awarded funding to GKN Aerospace's H2FlyGHT hydrogen fuel project.

This R&D funding boost follows the recent confirmation in the King's Speech of a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Bill designed to incentivize the production of low-carbon fuels.

The announcement follows the Climate Change Committee's annual progress report, which reiterated the need for the government to intensify efforts to reduce aviation emissions to meet legally binding targets for the 2030s.

In related news, Rolls-Royce and easyJet have begun constructing a unique engine test site at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. This facility will conduct outdoor, full-scale gas turbine hydrogen testing, demonstrating the integration of technologies required for 100% hydrogen fuel operation on a modified Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engine.

Deborah Robinson, director for test and experimental engineering at Rolls-Royce, said: "Rolls-Royce is at the forefront of developing technologies that will be needed to reach net zero by 2050. We are excited to partner with other global leaders like easyJet and NASA to explore the viability of aviation decarbonisation through the introduction of hydrogen as an alternative fuel."

David Morgan, easyJet's chief operating officer, said the company was "delighted with the progress our partnership with Rolls-Royce has made and where greater place to do this next phase of testing than at one of NASA's facilities."

"It's a truly remarkable feat to - in just a few short years - go from conceptual design stage to full engine testing with 100 per cent hydrogen, helping take us a step closer to our vision of operating zero-carbon hydrogen-powered aircraft technology in the years to come."