The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced its role in a world-first aviation breakthrough, collaborating with Rolls-Royce to successfully test a jet engine running on 100% hydrogen at full take-off power. This landmark achievement, unveiled on 29th May 2026, demonstrates how robust safety expertise is not a barrier but an essential catalyst for innovation in the pursuit of sustainable air travel.
Partnership with Rolls-Royce
Scientists from the Health and Safety Executive’s state-of-the-art Science and Research Centre in Buxton worked in close partnership with Rolls-Royce. Their crucial contribution involved the design, manufacture, and installation of sophisticated high-flow, high-pressure hydrogen control and monitoring gas supply infrastructure. This specialised system was fundamental to the successful execution of the “Engine GH2 test,” marking the first time such an extensive hydrogen aviation test programme has been performed globally.
At the core of HSE’s involvement was its comprehensive support for Rolls-Royce’s rig test programme.
The HSE’s team of experts provided safety analysis of the test design, blending their deep technical knowledge with extensive practical experience in safely handling hydrogen within demanding operational environments. This meticulous approach allowed the programme to progress swiftly from initial design concepts through to commissioning and live testing, all while maintaining the highest safety standards.
The successful completion of this project underscores how Britain’s science-led regulatory expertise is actively unlocking the technologies required to achieve net-zero flight. HSE’s long-standing hydrogen research team boasts over two decades of experience, having been at the forefront of hydrogen research across numerous sectors. This background has seen the team collaborate with major UK aerospace companies, including Airbus and Rolls-Royce, supporting projects that align closely with the Aerospace Technology Institute and directly advance the UK Government’s growth agenda.
This programme serves as a prime example of HSE’s ambition to empower industry to innovate safely. It powerfully illustrates that strong safety foundations are not an impediment to progress and growth, but rather one of the fundamental conditions that make groundbreaking advancements possible. The collaboration highlights a proactive regulatory approach, where safety guidance and scientific insight accelerate, rather than hinder, technological development.
Dr. Nigel A Moss, Aerospace Sector Manager at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, commented on the significance of the work. He emphasised that safety remains paramount within the aerospace sector, and the development of hydrogen as an alternative to hydrocarbon-based jet fuel presents complex challenges across various technical domains. Dr. Moss affirmed that the team’s work is precisely what enables innovation to proceed with both pace and confidence, asserting that establishing the correct safety foundations is integral to making such significant breakthroughs a reality.
Adam Newman, Chief Engineer for the Hydrogen Demonstrator Programme at Rolls-Royce, also shared insights into the programme’s achievements. He noted that this initiative has provided the industry with the clearest understanding to date of how hydrogen behaves within a modern aero gas turbine. Through a collaborative and carefully staged testing approach, the teams successfully validated combustion, fuel, and control system technologies.
Furthermore, they demonstrated the safe use of hydrogen throughout the entire lifecycle, encompassing design, commissioning, maintenance, and testing phases. Mr. Newman highlighted that a wide range of operating conditions, including various fault scenarios, were explored, enabling operation at maximum power and across a full flight cycle. He concluded that the rapid pace of delivery was critical, and the invaluable insights gained, many of which are fuel-agnostic, will now be applied across Rolls-Royce’s future programmes, including UltraFan®, thereby strengthening confidence in the gas turbine’s continued role at the forefront of sustainable aviation’s future.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre
