Rolls-Royce has announced the successful completion of compatibility testing of 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on all its in-production civil aero engine types.
The final test in this series, which involved a BR710 business jet engine, was conducted at the company’s facility in Canada.

According to the company, the comprehensive test programme included engines such as the Trent 700, Trent 800, Trent 900, Trent 1000, Trent XWB-84, Trent XWB-97, Trent 7000, BR725, Pearl 700, Pearl 15, and Pearl 10X. These tests, which involved a range of ground and flight tests, confirmed that the use of 100% SAF does not impact engine performance.

According to Rolls-Royce, its new generation UltraFan engine demonstrator, which also ran earlier this year, is capable of operating on 100% SAF.

The company’s commitment to sustainable aviation will be further showcased in a joint effort with Virgin Atlantic, where Trent 1000 engines will power a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Flight 100, the world’s first transatlantic 100% SAF flight. This project involves a consortium including Boeing, University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, and the Rocky Mountain Institute, sponsored by the Department for Transport.