GE’s Slattery believes hydrogen power is the ‘Real Nirvana’

The head of GE Aviation John Slattery, has expressed confidence that everybody across the air transport business, including airlines, believes in the “noble cause” of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, not least because customers increasingly want it. Passengers eventually will want to know each of their flights’ carbon footprint, either out of environmental concerns or to know how much tax they will need to pay on their carbon production, John Slattery explained during a Eurocontrol Straight Talk session on Thursday. “Collectively the industry will get there,” he said, stressing GE Aviation is playing its role to achieve the industry’s challenge to halve carbon emissions by 2050.

Slattery focused on the recently announced Rise (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) development program of its engine joint venture with Safran, CFM International, which aims for a 20% improvement in fuel burn and CO2 emissions compared with today’s CFM Leap family. “This will the single largest leap in fuel burn reduction ever seen,” he said. “If you would apply this to the narrowbody fleet, it would be equivalent to removing more than 17 million cars from the roads.”

The CFM Rise hybrid electric advanced open fan demonstrator would run on either 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or liquid hydrogen. “Hundred percent SAF will result in an 80% reduction in lifecycle CO2 emissions, while green hydrogen would reduce CO2 by 100%. Hydrogen will get us to the nirvana of flight with zero carbon emissions,” he said.