- The test successfully operated a modern aero gas turbine using 100pc hydrogen
- The demonstration covered a full flight cycle including take-off, cruise and landing
- The programme ran for four years with TCS joining in 2024
- Aviation accounts for approximately 2-3pc of global CO₂ emissions
- The partnership included easyJet, NASA and the English Health and Safety Executive
Tata Consultancy Services and Rolls-Royce have achieved a major milestone in the hydrogen propulsion programme, demonstrating the successful operation of a modern aero gas turbine across a fully simulated flight cycle using 100pc hydrogen. The tests validated critical hydrogen propulsion technologies across combustion, fuel systems and engine controls. Aviation currently accounts for approximately 2-3pc of global CO₂ emissions, and hydrogen-powered propulsion technologies have the potential to eliminate in-flight CO₂ emissions when deployed at scale.
The test is the culmination of a four-year programme to prove hydrogen’s potential as a future aviation fuel. Operated using 100pc hydrogen, the modified engine successfully completed a flight cycle demonstration including take-off, cruise and landing. As Rolls-Royce’s engineering partner, TCS provided engineering expertise that helped fast track the development, testing and successful delivery of the hydrogen propulsion programme. TCS supported Rolls-Royce on critical areas including fuel system and engine controls integration, hydrogen combustion analysis, test preparation, validation, data analytics, risk management and detailed design.
The partnership underscores TCS’s commitment to driving sustainable transformation across industries, aligning with its broader mission to harness technology for positive societal impact. The demonstration brought together expertise from across the aviation ecosystem, with Rolls-Royce and TCS working alongside easyJet, NASA, England’s Health and Safety Executive and other industry partners. The knowledge gained from this programme will inform future propulsion technologies and support the aviation industry’s transition towards low-carbon air travel.
Adam Newman Chief Engineer for the Hydrogen Technology Demonstrator Programme at Rolls-Royce’s Aerospace Division shared “The programme marks an important milestone in our journey towards more sustainable aviation, and the learnings from this initiative will support future propulsion innovations.”
Anupam Singhal shared “This milestone reflects what becomes possible when advanced engineering is combined with digital capabilities and deep ecosystem collaboration to move breakthrough innovation closer to real-world application.”
