The Toulouse aircraft manufacturer will equip a super-jumbo A380, the largest long-haul at the activity, a fifth engine reconditioned to operate with the liquid gas.
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Airbus wants to hold its launch schedule of the Future Zero Emission aircraft, set at 2035. To meet deadlines, the world’s number one of the aeronautics announced, Tuesday, February 22, the signing of a partnership with Two motorists, Safran French and its American partner General Electric (GE). The lens of the trio is to test, from 2026, a hydrogen engine.
At first, the trio will develop a demonstrator – a complete device that will associate a hydrogen engine as well as tanks to store this gas in the liquid state. During this test phase, Airbus will equip a Super-Jumbo A380, the largest long-haul, a fifth engine reconditioned to operate with hydrogen.
The additional reactor will be attached to the rear of the fuselage. The A380 will take off with its motors supplied with kerosene, before, once reached its cruising altitude, to continue its hydrogen flight. “This is the most significant step by Airbus to inaugurate the new era of hydrogen aircraft, since the announcement of our zero emission concepts in September 2020,” said Sabine Klauke, Technical Director of ‘Airbus.
Reduce consumption and CO emissions by 20% 2
With this partnership, Airbus makes air transport to the after-kerosene. Indeed, Safran and GE, partners at 50-50 in the CFM International joint venture, are the two largest motorists in the sector. On their own, they provide all 737 Max de Boeing and the majority of Airbus A320Neo Middle Middle Couriers, the most sold planes in the world.
In particular, with this announcement, Airbus said that biofuels will only be an intermediate step before the implementation of hydrogen aircraft. Alternative fuels are already certified for use on the current fleet of commercial aircraft. Problem, they are produced in quantity too weak and, above all, they cost six to seven times more than kerosene.
At the mid-2021, Safran and GE had presented a project of future engine, baptized “Rise”, with the aim of reducing consumption and CO 2 consumption by 20%. By partnering with Airbus, French and American motorists pass at the top speed. “Hydrogen combustion is one of the fundamental technologies that we are developing and experiencing, as part of the Rise project,” said Gaël Meheust, CFM International CEO.
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