Rolls-Royce to elevate EU's latest Clean Aviation call

Rolls-Royce has been selected by the European Union's Clean Aviation programme to lead the ELEVATED project, with the aim of demonstrating a hybrid-electric gas-turbine propulsion system for future ultra-efficient short- to medium-range aircraft.

ELEVATED is one of 19 groundbreaking Clean Aviation projects announced to further decarbonise aviation while strengthening EU competitiveness and industrial leadership. The initiatives, which also include solutions for hydrogen-powered and ultra-efficient regional aircraft architectures, will receive up to €290 million in EU funding, contributing to a total public and private investment of €664 million across the Clean Aviation Call 4 projects.

The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) is the European Union's leading research and innovation programme for transforming aviation towards a sustainable and climate neutral future.

The Rolls-Royce Deutschland-led ELEVATED consortium brings together key industry, academic and research partners across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. Together, they contribute unique capabilities across hybridisation, electrification, engine integration, electrical machines and drives, powerplant integration, high-voltage harnesses, aircraft integration, modelling and academic research.

Subject to successful completion of grant preparation, the project will embed a hybrid-electric subsystem into a donor engine, enabling the technology to be integrated, controlled and tested under realistic boundary conditions. The hybrid-electric subsystem is expected to contribute to the ambitious goal of achieving at least a 20% reduction in aircraft-level CO₂ emissions.

ELEVATED will be used to assess the potential impact of hybrid-electric elements on the UltraFan 30 technology demonstrator and is a key part on the way to Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL6).

The UltraFan technology programme spans the development of next-generation geared ducted engine solutions for both widebody and narrowbody applications, combining the maturation and validation of novel and proven technologies. UltraFan 30 is Rolls-Royce's narrowbody technology demonstrator, designed to validate these technologies for future short- and medium-range aircraft. Planned for ground testing in 2028, it brings together advances in engine core architecture, fan systems, materials and manufacturing to target significant improvements in fuel burn, efficiency, emissions and durability, while being compatible with 100% sustainable aviation fuel from day one.

Alan Newby, Director - Research & Technology, Rolls-Royce, said:

"We are proud that Rolls-Royce has been selected to lead the ELEVATED project as part of the EU's successful Clean Aviation programme.

"By integrating and demonstrating an innovative hybrid-electric system under realistic conditions, we will generate data to validate our modelling and inform technology selection, product development, certification planning and industrialisation. Together with the turbomachinery work being advanced through the ongoing UNIFIED project, it will help bring together the key technology paths needed to validate future UltraFan capability and support best-in-class performance in thrust, fuel burn, noise, emissions and durability."

In addition to ELEVATED, Rolls-Royce will also participate in two other Clean Aviation projects announced today: FARMAN (Fuelling Aviation Research for the Management of Advanced distribution systems with hydrogen) and H-ELENA (Hydrogen Engine for Low-Emission NOx Architecture).