Rolls-Royce sours on electric-powered planes, says hydrogen needs time
Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc backed away from electric powered aircraft, with plans to put a business making such engines up for sale and said conventional propulsion will remain the mainstay possibly for the two decades as hydrogen takes time to mature as an alternative.
“I don’t believe in the next 15, 20 years hydrogen will play a role,” Chief Executive Officer Tufan Erginbilgic said on a media call on Tuesday. While the company is working on hydrogen technology with discount carrier EasyJet Plc, Erginbilgic said he believes sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, will be the sole pathway for large jets to achieve net zero climate targets.
