Results
How MINIMAL is already showing how to reduce the climate impact on aviation.
Future aircraft must reduce not only fuel consumption, but also their overall climate impact.
The MINIMAL project is advancing new tools, technologies and system-level designs that address both CO₂ and non-CO₂ effects, including NOx emissions and contrail formation.
MINIMAL’s results combine climate science, clean engine technologies and integrated aircraft design to support climate-neutral aviation beyond 2035.
Discover the engine and aircraft technologies developed in MINIMAL.
Access public reports, official project outputs and EU deliverables.
Understanding aviation’s climate impact
Measuring what really matters for the climate
Aviation affects the climate in more ways than just by fuel burn. MINIMAL has deployed advanced climate models to better understand the influence of engine emissions, particulates and contrails on future global warming.
MINIMAL is
- Building updated global emission inventories for today’s fleets and projected aircraft fleets
- Improving modelling of non-CO₂ effects, including NOx and soot particles
- Assessing how different fuels, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), affect contrail formation and warming
- Developing climate-response tools that link engine design parameters directly to climate impact metrics
Why this matters
Engine emissions and contrails have climate impacts that act over different timeframes. Understanding their effects enables engineers to design engines that not only reduce fuel use but also reduce real climate impact.
Cleaner engines running on hydrogen
Reducing harmful emissions at source
MINIMAL is advancing hydrogen-powered pressure rise combustion concepts designed to operate lean, reducing the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that affect both climate and air quality.
MINIMAL has
- Prepared a hydrogen-fuelled opposed free piston test rig for NOx emissions measurements
- Developed detailed simulation models to study clean modes of combustion
- Created a new test facility for safely conducting the hydrogen combustion experiments
- Identified pathways to lower NOx emissions
Why this matters
Cleaner combustion means less climate impact and better air quality, especially near airports.Smarter cooling for higher efficiency
Using hydrogen to cool engines as well as to power them
Keeping engines cool improves efficiency and reduces emissions. MINIMAL has developed innovative cooling concepts.
MINIMAL has
- Designed advanced air–hydrogen cooling systems
- Created tools to evaluate heat exchanger performance, safety and icing risks
- Prepared experimental facilities to validate cooling concepts
- Developed solutions ready for laboratory-scale demonstration
Why this matters
Efficient cooling enables engines to burn less fuel and produce fewer emissions, a key step toward climate-neutral flight.
Designing aircraft for minimal climate impact
Optimising engines, aircraft and climate together
An efficient engine alone does not guarantee a climate-friendly aircraft. MINIMAL integrates engines, aircraft design and climate models to optimise the entire system.
MINIMAL has
- Designed future short-range, medium-range and long-range aircraft concepts
- Linked engine size, weight and efficiency to aircraft performance
- Created tools to explore different design combinations
- Baseline aircraft designs with up to 20% reduced energy demand per passenger kilometre compared to newest in-service aircraft were developed as platforms for the advanced MINIMAL engine technology to be integrated and assessed
Why this matters
Climate-optimised aircraft are not always the same as fuel-optimised ones. MINIMAL’s approach ensures that design decisions reduce real climate impact.
From research to real-world impact
Sharing results and preparing for future aviation developments
MINIMAL actively shares its results with researchers, industry, policymakers and the public to ensure that knowledge leads to action.
MINIMAL has
- Published scientific results in journals and conferences
- Organised workshops and sessions at major aviation events and in industryBuilt strong collaboration through the ClimAvTech European research cluster
- Prepared technology roadmaps toward aircraft entering service after 2035
Why this matters
Early engagement with industry and policymakers helps turn research into real aircraft technologies.
Go deeper into the science
For readers who want to explore the technical details behind these results: