Rolls-Royce secures €64m to advance new aero engine propulsion tech

Rolls-Royce has secured millions in European cash to lead a research project supporting the development and ground testing of new aero engine propulsion technology.

The engineering giant, which has its civil aerospace division in Derby, has been awarded €64million from the European Union’s Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking to lead UNIFIED (Ultra Novel and Innovative Fully Integrated Engine Demonstrations).

UNIFIED is a collaborative research project supporting the development and planned ground testing of the UltraFan 30 demonstrator.

The project will focus on “maturing and advancing” next-generation propulsion technologies for future narrowbody aircraft applications.

It will support planned ground testing of the UltraFan 30 demonstrator in 2028 and helping establish a credible pathway toward future flight test.

Alan Newby, Rolls-Royce’s director of research and technology, said: “UNIFIED is an important step in advancing the UltraFan technologies that could underpin a future narrowbody application.

“The narrowbody segment is central to global aviation growth and delivering step-change improvements in efficiency in this market is key to long-term sustainability.

“Through Clean Aviation, we are accelerating technology readiness in collaboration with leading industrial, academia and research partners – strengthening the foundations required for future narrowbody opportunities.”

Led by Rolls-Royce, the UNIFIED consortium brings together industrial, academia and research partners from across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the UK.

By combining expertise across the European aerospace sector, including the UK through its association with Horizon Europe, the partnership will strengthen industrial capability, enhance supply chain resilience and build the technology readiness required for future narrowbody applications.

The UNIFIED consortium partners and representatives from the Clean Aviation Programme Management Unit recently attended a formal kick-off meeting at Derby Museums’ Museum of Making, to share overall programme plans, objectives and progress on initial activities in the project.

María Calvo Blanco, Clean Aviation’s head of unit project management, said: “We value our long-standing partnership with Rolls-Royce, which builds on previous research programmes and a focus within Clean Aviation on scalable UltraFan architecture, starting with HEAVEN and followed by UNIFIED.

“The contribution of UNIFIED to the development of ultra-high bypass ratio technology will be a decisive step towards the goal of a 30% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (compared to 2020 state-of-the-art technology) for short-medium range aircraft entering into service in 2035.

“In this way, project partners help advance new propulsion technologies that can play a key role in securing a sustainable and competitive aviation sector.”