The engine was tested at Boscombe Down
Easyjet and Rolls Royce test hydrogen jet engine
Partnership looking to demonstrate that hydrogen has potential to power a range of aircraft from the 2030s
Engine manufacturer Rolls Royce and airline Easyjet have successfully tested an aircraft engine running on hydrogen. The test took place at an outdoor test facility at the UK Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down facility using a converted Rolls Royce AE 2100-A gas turbine engine that would normally run on kerosene-based jet fuel. Following analysis of the early concept ground test, the two companies plan a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls Royce Pearl 15 jet engine. “We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including Easyjet-sized aircraft,” says Easy
Also in this section
9 March 2026
Hydrogen has not stalled in the UK because the technology does not work. The problem is that the system around it does not yet move at the speed required
4 March 2026
Turmoil in Middle East reminds nascent clean hydrogen sector that its future prospects are dependent on global energy markets and geopolitics
25 February 2026
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said
18 February 2026
Norwegian energy company has dropped a major hydrogen project and paused its CCS expansion plans as demand fails to materialise
