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Tag: decarbonisation

Rolls-Royce pioneering electrification in aviation at scaleRolls-Royce

At Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY), we aim to lead the Advanced Air Mobility market and achieve the world’s first certification of an electric engine for commercial aircraft by the mid-2020s. Light aircraft are already flying with electric propulsion, demonstrating the technological possibilities for the decarbonisation of large aviation in the future, if we can develop at scale.

In 2022, Rolls-Royce Electrical launched a dedicated programme that will enable us to achieve the levels of mass production needed to support the industry, embedding industrialisation within our electric propulsion product portfolio.

To do this, the programme is focussed on developing the right capabilities within the business’s core functions: supply chain, manufacturing, quality and services. As such, our core industrialisation team is working in close collaboration with a new product introduction projects team to ensure that any under-development electric drive technologies and systems can be sourced, manufactured and serviced at scale.

Rolls-Royce supply chain teams are responsible for sourcing partners to produce materials that will not only uphold the highest of aviation safety standards but that can be sourced and brought to the assembly line affordably and at pace, ready to support mass production.

Once chosen, the supply chain team also support our engineers by working hand-in-hand with suppliers throughout the product’s design to ensure that customer needs are met.

Hitachi Rail Successfully Tests First Battery-Powered Tram

  • Battery-powered tram offers major benefits of requiring no overhead wires or other electrified infrastructure – saving on costs and visual impact
  • On-board batteries allow energy to be additionally recovered during breaking
  • Trial in Florence aims to allow mobility firm to offer battery-trams globally
  • Tram adds to the growing list of battery products being developed as Hitachi puts decarbonisation and sustainability at the heart of its global strategy

Hitachi Rail has successfully tested its first battery-powered tram in Florence – an important milestone towards expanding the firm’s offer to market the vehicles across the world.

While traditional tram lines require electrified infrastructure  – usually overhead wires  supported by  poles or pylons – that are  expensive to install and visually unattractive. Battery trams offer the  opportunity to run high capacity public transport through city centres, while saving millions on installing wires and reducing the visual impact on beautiful historic streets, like Florence.

The trial involves installing battery packs on an existing Hitachi-built Sirio tram, which covered a section of the line under battery power. The innovation allows power to be returned to the batteries when the train breaks, reducing the overall amount of energy consumed and protecting the  environment.

This news is the latest in a number of announcements from the global mobility firm as expands its sustainability credentials and its zero-carbon offer to its customers around the world. Hitachi recently announced the trial of a battery train in the UK and delivery of hybrid trains in Italy, having built one of the world’s first battery powered train fleets that operates in Japan.

Hitachi has a rich heritage of building trams and tramways in Europe and in Asia, and is involved in new tram and metro infrastructure projects in the Americas and in the UK.

Andrea Pepi, Head of Sales and Projects Italy, Hitachi Rail said: “Our aim is to use our technology and our work to help build a sustainable society and contribute to the well-being of people around the world by improving their quality of life.”

“This is a key milestone as we pioneer this new technology that allow us to work with our customers to reduce infrastructure costs while still offering environmentally-friendly public transport. We hope  this successful trial in Italy creates new opportunities for us across the world.”

The Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella said: “We are happy that Hitachi Rail has chosen the tramway in Florence to test this innovation. Battery-powered trams can revolutionize this type of service within cities. Public transport, especially in historic centers, will have to be less impactful and increasingly sustainable. This marks another significant step forward for the tramways in Florence.”

Airbus Reveals New Zero-Emission Concept Aircraft

Airbus has revealed three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft which could enter service by 2035. These concepts each represent a different approach to achieving zero-emission flight, exploring various technology pathways and aerodynamic configurations in order to support the Company’s ambition of leading the way in the decarbonisation of the entire aviation industry.

All of these concepts rely on hydrogen as a primary power source – an option which Airbus believes holds exceptional promise as a clean aviation fuel and is likely to be a solution for aerospace and many other industries to meet their climate-neutral targets.

The three concepts – all codenamed “ZEROe” – for a first climate neutral zero-emission commercial aircraft include:

A turbofan design (120-200 passengers) with a range of 2,000+ nautical miles, capable of operating transcontinentally and powered by a modified gas-turbine engine running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion. The liquid hydrogen will be stored and distributed via tanks located behind the rear pressure bulkhead.

A turboprop design (up to 100 passengers) using a turboprop engine instead of a turbofan and also powered by hydrogen combustion in modified gas-turbine engines, which would be capable of traveling more than 1,000 nautical miles, making it a perfect option for short-haul trips.

A “blended-wing body” design (up to 200 passengers) concept in which the wings merge with the main body of the aircraft with a range similar to that of the turbofan concept. The exceptionally wide fuselage opens up multiple options for hydrogen storage and distribution, and for cabin layout.

In order to tackle these challenges, airports will require significant hydrogen transport and refueling infrastructure to meet the needs of day-to-day operations. Support from governments will be key to meet these ambitious objectives with increased funding for research & technology, digitalisation, and mechanisms that encourage the use of sustainable fuels and the renewal of aircraft fleets to allow airlines to retire older, less environmentally friendly aircraft earlier.