The aviation sector accelerates on the issue of sustainability and focuses on the engines of the future. In this context, the Avio Aero initiative was born, launching the program of a technological demonstrator for the hybrid-electric in Europe. Clean Aviation – the EU public-private partnership for the development of new technologies in the aeronautical sector – will invest 34 million over the next four years in the consortium led by Avio Aero for the development of the Amber demonstrator. The electric motor will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells and will make a key contribution to the process of developing engines for civil aeronautics with lower emissions.
In fact, Clean Aviation’s partnership with the sector’s industries has as its objective precisely that of accelerating the introduction of key technologies in the sector, such as electrification, to support the efforts of the European Union in favor of the decarbonisation of the sector, with the zero emissions target set at 2050.
From an industrial and technological point of view, the Amber demonstrator project aims to «develop, integrate and validate the key technologies necessary for the development of a hybrid-electric engine architecture powered by hydrogen fuel cells of the one megawatt class» as explained by a notice released during the day. The Amber demonstrator, in particular, will study the integration of the hybrid-electric components – which include an engine/generator, power converters and power distribution systems – with fuel cells and with the Catalyst, Avio’s innovative turboprop engine Aero, to carry out bench tests already in the next few years.
For Avio Aero, which has its main plant in Italy in Rivalta, in the province of Turin, the development of the demonstrator “reaffirms our commitment to design, develop and test innovative technologies to shape an increasingly sustainable future of flight” as underlines Giorgio Abrate, Engineering Vice President of Avio Aero. In general, the electrification technologies that Avio Aero and the parent company GE Aerospace are developing are compatible with the use of alternative fuels, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), and with the most advanced engine architectures.
“To achieve climate neutrality we need to do more with less energy, and aviation is no exception,” said Axel Krein, Executive Director of Clean Aviation. The ambition of the European program is to drive a radical change in aircraft performance by increasing their performance efficiency and reducing their environmental impact. For regional aircraft, the goal is at least a 50% improvement over today’s classic flight.