Airbus develops fuel-cell engine for hydrogen plane

Airbus has started developing fuel-cell engine technology, it said on Wednesday as it reaffirmed plans to introduce a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035. The system is one of several options being considered for a potential zero-emission aircraft based on hydrogen, an effective and clean carrier of energy, Airbus said. It is the first time the world's largest planemaker has branched out into developing engine-related technology, but zero-emission project head Glenn Llewellyn said it would not necessarily go it alone if the system ended up being deployed. Hydrogen flight is one of several potential developments being explored as aviation faces a daunting task of reaching net-zero emission targets by 2050, though there are big transatlantic differences over the path to curbing emissions. Jet engine makers Rolls-Royce, General Electric, Safran and Pratt & Whitney are among its biggest suppliers. Although Airbus once briefly considered buying Britain's Rolls-Royce over a decade ago, planemakers have historically shied away from competing with engine makers whose powerplants fly on multiple platforms to recoup huge development costs. But the increasingly integrated nature of possible future plane designs, which may involve different configurations than in the past, has increased the opportunity for overlap. Experts said Airbus was likely to partner with an engine maker if the project comes to fruition, with Airbus focusing on the fuel cell and the engine industry focusing on their core activity of managing power for flight.<br/>