The GE Brief: February 3, 2022
Heavy Lifting
Qatar Airways will become the first carrier to operate the freighter version of Boeing’s latest 777X jet, the 777-8F, powered by GE9X engines that GE Aviation developed. The GE9X is the world’s most powerful jet engine, capable of generating 134,000 pounds of thrust. The total value of the order is more than $6.8 billion at list price and includes 30 GE9X engines and spares, a new order of four GE90-115B engines for 777 aircraft, and a services agreement to cover the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the engines. Read the story here.
Electric Sky
Last October, NASA and GE Aviation announced a new partnership to mature a megawatt-class hybrid electric engine that could power a single-aisle aircraft. The project got one step closer to takeoff this week when GE Aviation selected Boeing to modify the plane that will test the propulsion system in the air. Flight tests are projected to start in the mid-2020s. The NASA-GE partnership is part of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, a five-year, $260 million effort being funded by investments from NASA, GE Aviation, Boeing and other partners. The story is here.
Cutting Carbon
Seven companies including GE Gas Power have formed an alliance aiming to establish a low-carbon and hydrogen “industrial hub” in the northern Appalachian region, spanning Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The goal is to help decarbonize the industrial region by focusing on two technology pathways: hydrogen utilization and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS)—both of which can help reduce or mitigate carbon emissions from industries including power generation. Establishing a hydrogen ecosystem could drive an economic resurgence across the region, creating thousands of new jobs. The group hopes its regional collaborative approach becomes a national model for making the energy transition. GE Reports has the story here.
World Cancer Day
Over the past two decades, World Cancer Day, which falls on Feb. 4, has become an important day for patients and clinicians alike. This year, the Union for International Cancer Control, which organized the initiative, will launch a three-year campaign aimed at bringing together individuals, organizations and governments to create awareness and help close the gap in cancer care. “By 2030, it is estimated that 75% of all premature deaths due to cancer will occur in low- and middle-income countries,” said Anil d’Cruz, the union’s president.
GE Healthcare is ready to help. Here’s a list of recent stories taking aim at cancer.
The 5 Coolest Things On Earth ?
1. Regrowing severed limbs on frogs — and how it could work for humans one day.
2. Plans for a reusable space vehicle that takes off and lands like an airplane.
3. A $75 billion investment in renewable power in India.
4. An AI-powered robot performs surgery with virtually no human intervention.
5. The first offshore wind-powered charging station for ocean vessels.
— Quote Of The Day —
“I tell you what, it’s exciting to push the thrust levers up on these engines …You can feel the thrust. A lot of our takeoffs are full-thrust takeoffs, and they generate so much power. They are also super reliable; they’ve been good to us.”
— Capt. Heather Ross, Boeing 777X test pilot
Quote: GE Reports. Images: Qatar Airways, Boeing, Getty Images.