Airbus to work with CFM on hydrogen engine technology

Bloomberg

Airbus SE is set to announce a partnership with engine-maker CFM International to work on hydrogen propulsion as it targets introduction of a passenger aircraft running on the fuel by 2035, according to people familiar with the matter.
An announcement involves adapting a current-generation CFM engine to run on hydrogen, said the people, who asked not to be named prior to a press conference. Airbus said that it planned “a major announcement with key engine partners” tied to its zero-emissions plans.
The initiative with CFM, a joint venture of GE and Safran, doesn’t mark a firm commitment to any one engine partner or technology, said the people, who asked not to be named prior to the announcement. Airbus has been working with other suppliers as well to assess options for emissions-free flying.
Hydrogen technology is still under research for use in jet engines. Airbus rival Boeing Co is testing hydrogen fuel cells on its ScanEagle3 pilotless military drone, while expressing skepticism about the 2035 target for commercial jetliners.
Safran has called hydrogen a “promising candidate” for future aircraft models. The French supplier said at its capital markets day that it was working with Airbus on a demonstration project adapting an existing engine to hydrogen fuel.
Safran also said it was “developing the technological bricks” for hydrogen aircraft, including specific materials and adjustments to fuel-system technologies. An Airbus spokesman declined to comment ahead of the announcement. A spokeswoman for CFM couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Airbus is attempting to rally the aviation industry behind the ambitious hydrogen plan as it faces mounting pressure to reduce emissions that lead to global warming. With manufacturers gearing up to ultimately make the shift to zero-emission flying, enginemakers GE, Safran, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc will all compete for a share of the new market.
Rolls-Royce, which currently specialises in widebody engines, has said it is now considering a return to the single-aisle market and is speaking to both planemakers about possible opportunities. Pratt said that it received US Department of Energy funding to further its work on hydrogen propulsion.