Following the news at Farnborough International Airshow 2022 that Raytheon Technologies has been selected by the US Department of Energy for two research and development projects to test the use of hydrogen and ammonia as effective, zero-carbon options for electricity generation;

Harry Boneham, Aerospace Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“If successful, the project would be a positive next step for Raytheon Technologies, demonstrating that its products are capable of using sustainable fuels. This would grant the company a leading position in a future green hydrogen-powered aviation market alongside firms such as Airbus that is also developing hydrogen aircraft through its ZEROe program.

“This announcement demonstrates Raytheon’s cognisance that the sustainability and emissions-reduction are concepts that will define the future commercial aviation market. Consumer expectations and government restrictions will continue to push all manufacturers to develop their own vision of sustainable aviation, whether it be sustainable aviation fuels, electric flight, hydrogen propulsion, or a combination.

“Raytheon Technologies is already invested in the development of hydrogen-propulsion, through its Hydrogen Steam Injected, Inter-Cooled Turbine Engine (HySIITE) project. HySIITE is a Pratt & Whitney-led effort to develop hydrogen-fuelled propulsion technology applicable to single-aisle commercial aircraft. This new project will supplement Raytheon’s capabilities in this area.”