Rolls-Royce to embed hybrid-electric system in demonstrator engine under EU-backed ELEVATED project

Rolls-Royce's German business will lead ELEVATED, a Clean Aviation-backed consortium that will embed a hybrid-electric system inside a donor gas turbine engine, the manufacturer said. Rolls-Royce says the installation is meant to let the hybrid-electric technology be integrated, controlled and tested under conditions close to real operation.

The company has not said which engine will be the donor. Clean Aviation named the 19 projects picked under its fourth call for proposals on 17 September, sharing €290 million ($332 million) in EU funding.

ELEVATED falls under Clean Aviation's Short-Medium Range workstream, aimed at a next-generation narrowbody aircraft. The funding is still subject to grant preparation being completed successfully.

According to Rolls-Royce, the project will assess how hybrid-electric elements could affect the UltraFan 30 technology demonstrator, and the company calls it a key part of work to bring the new ducted geared-fan architecture to technology readiness level 6. The ultra-high-bypass-ratio UltraFan 30 demonstrator is expected to run for the first time in 2028.

Rolls-Royce sees adding a hybrid-electric system to the UltraFan 30 as a route to a 20% reduction in emissions at aircraft level. Maturation of the turbomachinery is funded separately through Clean Aviation's earlier UNIFIED project, a four-year programme worth €89 million.

The UltraFan 30 demonstrator will be built around the core of a Pearl engine. Rolls-Royce has not identified the donor engine for the hybrid-electric integration effort.