“Aviation is a force for good"

It is crucial to combine both perspectives, especially in a global power business like Rolls-Royce, with activities in aerospace, defence and power systems. Strategy is all about the “why”, technology is about the “how”. Technology underpins strategy by helping define the range of its possibilities. At the same time, it gives a good idea of how strategy, once defined, is to be implemented.

Because aviation is a force for good. Aircraft connect people, families, cultures and economies across the globe. At higher speeds and over wider distances than any other means of transport. In most cases, flying is the only option. If you want to travel from Europe to the US, you normally wouldn´t ask yourself: “should I fly 10 hours or take a boat for a 10-day journey?” The only choice is: “take a plane or stay home”. This is not only true for individuals but also for our economy at large.

Because, measured by value, more than a third of global trade is carried by air. This applies to high-value and urgent goods – such as medical and sanitary supplies or spare parts for our high-tech industries. Same goes for many everyday products. The smartphone you’re holding right now was most probably imported from overseas by plane. All this means that without aviation, our society and economy would look entirely different.

At Rolls-Royce we are set on leading the transition to net zero by 2050 and we have defined clear steps on this journey. We laid this out in June last year with our Net Zero report. First, we are committed to making a step change in efficiency of our gas turbines. Second, we champion sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) demonstration and adoption. And third, we are developing third generation technologies.

SAF, if made from waste or synthetically, is the most immediate solution to dramatically reduce lifecycle emissions by around 80%, which is huge. Today, engines are still only certified to fly with a fuel blend containing a maximum of 50% SAF. To reap the full potential, we must increase this ratio as soon as possible. At Rolls-Royce, we have set ourselves the goal of making all our commercial aero engines compatible to fly with 100% SAF by next year.

Producing SAF is quite energy consuming, and SAF will only be “sustainable” if produced using low carbon energies. Power generation and power use must always go hand in hand. At Rolls-Royce with our `Small Modular Reactors´, we offer a solution for carbon dioxide (CO₂)-free and reliable power which can play a role in solving this issue. The challenges in supplying truly sustainable fuels remain gigantic with scaling production and lowering cost.

Even though politicians and fuel providers are working on this, the amount of available SAF will remain limited for the foreseeable future. As a result, we must focus its use on the field where it has most impact. Long-haul flights make up only 25% of global air traffic but account for 75% of its emissions. That´s the real use case for SAF.

Despite the enormous technical and infrastructural challenges associated with bringing hydrogen to mainstream aviation, it does offer the promise of commercial and environmental benefits. While SAF offers the most potential in decarbonising aviation and achieving net-zero carbon in the nearer term, from a fundamental perspective hydrogen not only appears feasible as a fuel for aviation but may ultimately be suitable for both medium- and long-haul markets.

Hydrogen will undoubtedly play a key role in global energy decarbonisation, and the production of green hydrogen needs to be significantly increased. At Rolls-Royce we are researching key hydrogen technologies as part of the broader portfolio which will enable us deliver to our 2050 commitments.

Rolls-Royce is leading the way in offering all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market, which includes small propeller aircraft, regional air mobility and urban air mobility. We have set up a business unit in Rolls-Royce to focus on this, aiming at delivering power and propulsion products for aerospace applications by investing in a series of technology building blocks, ranging from electrical propulsion units to advanced energy storage systems, augmenting generators and electrical power distribution systems, to offer end-to-end battery electric and hybrid electric systems solutions.

I do have to mention our "Spirit of Innovation" here! It’s the world´s fastest all-electric aircraft, and flies twice as fast as its closest competitor.

Yet, ultimately it is of course not about setting records but rather about achieving tangible results in driving sustainability and maturing technologies for the Advanced Air Mobility market. The "Spirit of Innovation" allowed us to leverage unrivalled aerospace and electrical engineering expertise, drawing on the finest talent across various sectors, such as Formula E auto-racing and high-powered battery development. Every challenge we overcame, every breakthrough we made has been shared with a global and integrated team, giving knowledge and capability a potential real-world application. This is how we make all-electric flight a reality!

Driving innovation is about seeing the big picture. By 2050, 70% of the world populations will live in cities. To achieve carbon neutrality, we will need to tackle the growing traffic density in and between cities and on shorter commuter routes. On Advanced Air Mobility platforms, all-electric propulsion systems will be an important part of the solution, being clean, quiet and efficient. All-electric flying is CO₂ emission free!

At Rolls-Royce we are determined to champion these developments and aim to become the leading supplier for complete electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems across the whole Advanced Air Mobility market.