You're looking at a giant leap forward in propulsion technology.
The GEnx, or next-generation aircraft engine, delivers 15 percent better fuel consumption than the engines it replaces. And its emissions are roughly 94 percent below 2008 regulatory limits.
If all of today's fleet of 200- to 300-passenger aircraft had GEnx engines, annual carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by an amount equal to removing more than 800,000 cars from the road for a year, or the carbon dioxide absorbed by 1.2 million acres of forest in a year.
Source: Tons of carbon dioxide /acre absorbed by a forest. EPA
If an airline were to replace 20 of its older twin-aisle aircraft with next-generation jets powered by GEnx engines, it would save nearly US$ 5 million in fuel costs annually.
Source: GEnx vs. CF6 annual fuel saved (per aircraft). Assumes price of jet fuel/gallon = US$ 1. GE Aircraft Engines and U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration
GE continues to pioneer jet propulsion using ecomagination to make it more energy-efficient and quieter. The GEnx engine will achieve dramatic gains in fuel efficiency and performance with significantly lower emissions than other engines in its class. And the GEnx is the quietest large commercial engine we have ever produced.
Every major component is the result of more than 60 years of jet engine innovation. Exotic materials like powdered metal alloys and carbon fiber composites have been combined with our advanced design codes to optimize the entire propulsion system. And by incorporating our most advanced combustion technology ever, the result will be an engine that will produce fewer smog-causing emissions than the maximum allowed by 2008 international standards (94 percent fewer hydrocarbon emissions and 57 percent nitrogen emissions), while consuming at least 15 percent less fuel than the engines they replace.
Boeing will use it to power the new 787 Dreamliner and 747-8, both of which are expected to provide substantially improved operating economics over today's comparable aircraft. With the use of our unique, super high bypass composite fan design, these same aircraft are expected to be 30 percent quieter than today's GE-powered aircraft. The first complete engine was tested in 2006, with full certification scheduled for 2007.
More information about the GEnx aircraft engine
The GEnx aircraft engines projected to be sold in the next 20 years will emit an estimated 77 million fewer tons of greenhouse gases than would have been produced by older comparable engines.
The GEnx aircraft engine also will be 30 percent quieter than comparable current market offerings.
If today's fleet of 200- to 300-passenger aircraft had GEnx engines, annual carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by an amount equal to:
» removing more than 800,000 cars from the road for a year
» adding more than 1.2 million acres of forest
» 4 percent of the annual carbon dioxide emissions produced by all U.S. commercial aircraft
And by using GEnx engines, that same fleet could save nearly 500 million gallons of jet fuel each year – enough to fly more than 12 million people from New York City to London on Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets.
If an airline were to replace 20 of its older 200- to 300-passenger aircraft with next-generation jets powered by GEnx engines, it would save nearly $5 million in fuel costs annually.