British engine maker Rolls-Royce is hopeful that it will soon be able to start test flights with military aircraft powered by its engines and using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends. RR is already in talks with the British Royal Air Force (RAF), which employs the Airbus A330 MRTT and which use Trent 700 engines.
Rolls-Royce engines are currently qualified for 50% SAF blends, but RR believes there is strong demand from its military customers to take this further.
“We've already started a really good conversation with the UK Royal Air Force and we're starting international conversations as well about how we can use SAF in gas turbine systems to get customers on their declared journeys to net zero [carbon],” said Dave Gordon, senior vice president of RR's UK defense business at a pre-DSEI briefing on Thursday.
Dave points out that several air forces around the world have “public statements around their decarbonization aspirations”. The RAF, for example, aims to reach zero emissions by 2040. The increased use of SAF is the “only reliable way” to achieve these goals, says Dave.
The RR willtarget high utilization assets first”, he says, noting that aircraft that are derived from commercial types, which is the case with the A330 MRTT tankers in service with the RAF, which use Rolls-Royce Trent 772B engines. Dave believes that such testing activities can start quickly once there is an agreement with the customer and Airbus, which would also bring certification benefits to commercial operators of the A330.
Due to the strong similarity between SAF and regular aviation fuel, “the technical challenge [running with a 100% SAF mixture] is not as great as it seems”, he added. In addition to the environmental benefits, increased use of SAF could “extend gas turbine service life”, in addition to providing customers “resilience and security of supply” if they no longer rely on conventional fuels.
With Flightglobal
