Brazil-based major aerospace group Embraer has unveiled its latest initiative to help cut or eliminate carbon emissions from aviation. The group has announced a family of four concept aircraft, designated Energia and powered by different renewable energy propulsion systems. These concepts have been developed in cooperation with an international consortium of aeronautical research institutes, engineering universities and small and medium-sized enterprises, which have provided expertise in areas such as energy harvesting, energy storage, thermal management and on how to apply these to sustainable power plants for aircraft.
“We see our role as a developer of novel technologies to help the industry achieve its sustainability targets,” explained Embraer senior VP: engineering, technology and corporate strategy Luis Carlos Affonso. “There’s no easy or single solution in getting to net zero. New technologies and their supporting infrastructure will come online over time. We’re working right now to refine the first airplane concepts, the ones that can start reducing emissions sooner rather than later. Small aircraft are ideal on which to test and prove new propulsion technologies so that they can be scaled up to larger aircraft. That’s why our Energia family is such an important platform.”
The four Energia concept aircraft vary in size and propulsion system. Two are nine-seaters, one is a 19-seater and one a 35- to 50-seater. They are designated Energia Hybrid (E9-HE for short), Energia Electric (E9-FE), Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC) and Energia H2 Gas Turbine (E50-H2GT).
The nine-seat E9-HE has hybrid-electric propulsion with rear-mounted engines. It would achieve a carbon emissions reduction of 90% and be technologically ready by about 2030.
The E9-FE design also has nine seats, with full electric propulsion driving aft-mounted contra-rotating propellers. It would produce zero carbon emissions and be technologically ready by around 2035.
The larger E19-H2FC would carry 19 and have hydrogen electric propulsion, with rear mounted electric engines. It would also produce zero carbon emissions and also be technologically ready by about 2035.
The largest of the concept designs is the E50-H2GT, which would have 35 seats to 50 seats. It would be powered by gas turbine engines using hydrogen fuel or blends of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and Jet A fuel, which could allow it to achieve up to a 100% reduction in carbon emissions. It would also have rear mounted engines and be technologically ready by around 2040.
“We see a big transformation in our industry towards a more sustainable aviation,” pointed out Embraer Commercial Aviation president and CEO Arjan Meijer. “With 50 years’ experience in developing, certifying and supporting regional aircraft, Embraer is in a unique position to make viable the introduction of new disruptive green technologies.”
Since August, Embraer has been flight testing its 100% electric power demonstration aircraft, a modified EMB-203 Ipanema single-engined agricultural plane. It has been testing ‘drop-in’ blends of SAF (derived from sugarcane and camelina plants) and jet fuels on its ‘E-Jet’ family of smaller airliners (with up to 150 seats). Embraer plans to have all its aircraft compatible with SAF by 2030 and is also planning to fly a hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator aircraft, by 2025. It is also developing an all-electric urban air mobility vehicle, which will enter service in 2026.