- Rolls-Royce intends to invest over $100m in aircraft energy storage development.
- The company has already designed 10m different aerospace battery systems.
- The aero-engineering company intends to integrate over 5 million battery cells per annum into modular systems by 2035.
Rolls-Royce plans to invest £80-million (US$110 million) in the development of energy storage systems (ESS) for aircraft over the next ten years. The company plans to pioneer sustainable aviation as it intends to develop a storage system capable of powering zero-emission flights for over 100 miles (160km) on a single charge.
Rolls-Royce plans to deploy aerospace-certified ESS solutions with electric and hybrid-electric propulsion systems for eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing) in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and fixed-wing aircraft with up to 19 seats for commuter transport.
Rob Watson, Director of Electrical, Rolls-Royce, notes that the investment demonstrates the company’s ambitions in electrification. “We are developing a portfolio of energy storage solutions to complement our electrical propulsion systems. This will ensure that we can offer our customers a complete electric propulsion system for their platform, whether eVTOL or a commuter aircraft. It will enable us to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for all-electric or hybrid-electric propulsion systems, which is incredibly exciting as these new markets develop and expand,” he added.
Rolls-Royce has designed 10 different aerospace battery systems, four of which have already been utilised in three aircraft. Two designs will be utilised for their first flights this year.