The roadmap to sustainability starts with sustainable air fuels (SAFs), according to Michael Schreyoegg, Chief Program Officer of MTU Aero Engines.

The engine specialist develops new engines, partnering with GE on widebody engines and Pratt & Whitney on narrow body and regional engines. The company also has a service unit and is the biggest independent service providers for engines in the aviation market

MTU has worked in collaboration with Boeing on the GE9X engine for the Boeing 777X as a four per cent partner on the engine, which Schreyoegg deemed to be “the most powerful in the world.”

Schreyoegg explained that sustainability will aviation will start with SAF: “I see in the next 10 to 20 years sustainable air fuels will be produced, they will be also used in our aircraft especially on the long haul side, but also then we have to think about more revolutionary technology concepts. You see aircraft on this side here, maybe in five years ten years from now they are powered by a fuel cell or by a revolutionary turbo machinery and all of this is on our technology roadmap and we are ready, we are prepared.”

“Collaboration and co-operation will be key”

“Also on the long-haul flights we will see artificial fuels tailor-made for the aviation which will greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions but we can also avoid for example any extra emissions. We can also tailor-made this kind of fuels, this kind of synthetic fuel, to specific use in aerospace – I’m looking forward to this fantastic journey.”

Collaboration and co-operation will be key to creating a more sustainable future, as Schreyoegg explained: “MTU is a company which has a heritage of 85 years of collaborating with people across the globe and this is a position and also a strategy which will take forward also to sustainability. We are cooperating here with people who are producing sustainable air fuels also we will find new partners when it comes to new propulsion technologies.”

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