Led by ONERA, 33 key industry and research stakeholders are engaging in an ambitious research project on hybrid electric prop ... ulsion (HEP) for commercial aviation, a technology that opens a new design space for aircraft while providing a revolutionary step in improving their efficiency. IMOTHEP (“Investigation and Maturation of Technologies for Hybrid Electric Propulsion”), a four-year Research and Innovation Action, receives a 10.4 M€ grant from the Horizon 2020 framework program of the European Commission (GA 875006). IMOTHEP will perform an in-depth investigation of electric technologies for hybrid electric aircraft in close connexion with advanced aircraft configurations design and innovative propulsion architectures. Analysing potential technologies at the relevant scale is fundamental for HEP and addressing the climate change challenge requires exploring the technology for commercial aircraft (representing the bulk of current airlines' fleets and aviation’s emissions). This is the central focus of IMOTHEP. The project’s ultimate goal is to achieve a key step in assessing the potential of HEP for reducing commercial aviation emissions and to build the technology roadmap for its development. The consortium gathers the major European aircraft manufacturers (Airbus, Leonardo), leading engine manufacturers (Safran, GE Avio, MTU, ITP, GKN), EREA’s aeronautic research organisations (ONERA, CIRA, DLR, AIT, ILOT, INCAS, NLR), higher education actors (Universities of Lorraine, Strathclyde, Chalmers and Nottingham, ISAE/Sup'Aéro, TU Braunschweig, Politecnico di Bari), a think tank (Bauhaus Luftfahrt), an intergovernmental organisation (Eurocontrol), and a consulting company (L-up). EASA supports the project as a third party. Finally, IMOTHEP develops international cooperation with Russia, with 5 leading research organisations (CIAM, GosNIIAS, MAI, NRC, TsAGI), as well as with Canada (NRC-CNRC). More Information on www.imothep-project.eu @ONERA @INEA_EU read more