Embraer confirms tail engines on turboprop are for hydrogen propulsion

Embraer released new information about its turboprop aircraft project, which it plans to make available later this decade, at a meeting with journalists this week.

According to Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes, the company’s new goal is to launch the project, if possible, in 2023. The previous outlook was for a possible debut in 2022, but concept development will continue for a few more months.

“We hope that early next year we can announce a decision on the development of the turboprop. We believe we will be ready in the first quarter of 2023″, Gomes Neto said at a press conference.

Gomes also emphasized the importance of the 70-seat version of the turboprop, which can replace a large number of ERJs in the United States that are approaching 30 years of use. The small jets carry about 50 passengers, and a two-class version of the future turboprop could have the same capacity.

“We hope that next year we can get the green light on one of these aircraft,” Embraer’s senior vice president of engineering, technology and corporate strategy Luis Carlos Affonso said, without naming which version is the market favorite.

Carlos Affonso also stressed again that the positioning of the engines at the rear of the aircraft, contrary to early projections, is with a future hydrogen propulsion system in mind, installed at the rear of the fuselage.

“Our vision is that there is a window of opportunity for a conventional engine in this power class that could… maybe after 15 years, evolve into an engine that would use new technologies,” Affonso said.

The executive also said that the new engine with “propfan architecture”, or turboprops with “reduction gearboxes” for example, could improve the operational efficiency of the aircraft and consequently reduce its operating costs.

Earlier Rodrigo Silva e Souza, of Embraer, confirmed that Embraer wants an aircraft that is 100% compatible with biofuel, and by 2040 will run on hydrogen, a fuel proposed by Airbus in its projects.

The choice for hydrogen was even before ATR, which will be Embraer’s competitor, presented the EVO, a new generation similar to the product it currently offers, already compatible with biofuel and adapted for propulsion with hydrogen.

Francisco Gomes Neto, from Embraer, pointed out that ATR’s move gives credibility to the argument that the turboprop market is full of opportunities.

According to the company, there is demand for at least 1080 turboprops worldwide in the next 20 years.