New engine powers cargo drone expansion

As China's low-altitude economy continues to expand, the demand for general-purpose aircraft and drones is rising. To tap into this burgeoning market, Aero Engine Corp of China, the country's dominant aircraft engine supplier, has developed a broad portfolio of products, which it is also actively promoting.

The latest model the State-owned aviation conglomerate is offering is the ATP120, a 1,200-kilowatt turboprop engine developed by Harbin Dongan Civil Aviation Engine Co, a subsidiary of AECC based in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

According to the company, the ATP120 can power general-aviation aircraft, trainer planes and reconnaissance drones. It can also be adapted for hybrid propulsion or hydrogen-fueled systems.

The engine features a modular design, long service life and strong environmental adaptability, including the ability to operate in high-altitude regions, the company said, adding that it promises low operating and maintenance costs, reduced fuel consumption, high safety standards and reliable performance.

"The ATP120 has been developed to meet the demand for suitable engines created by the rapid development of China's low-altitude economy in recent years, with its primary target users being large cargo drones," said Chen Yuying, the engine's chief designer at Harbin Dongan.

China's civil turboprop engine sector has long experienced slow development and limited product types, largely due to the sluggish growth of the domestic general-aviation industry in the past, she told China Daily on Friday during the 2025 Asia General Aviation Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

Favorable government policies are now spurring both State-owned and private companies to expand into aviation fields, Chen noted.

"One of their major focuses is unmanned cargo planes that can deliver goods in sparsely populated areas, such as western regions and southern islands," she said. "Previously, cargo transportation relied mainly on manned aircraft, which incurred relatively higher costs. Such errands can now be run by drones, powered by engines like the ATP120, which will tremendously reduce operating costs."

A single ATP120 can propel an aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 8 metric tons, while two engines can support a 16-ton plane, she added.

Two private enterprises have already signed cooperation agreements with AECC to procure the new engine for their large cargo drones, according to the chief designer.

"Next year, one company's unmanned aircraft will be equipped with two ATP120 engines to power the maiden flight of both the drone and the engine," Chen said, adding that once put into use, the ATP120 will end the absence of a domestically developed 1,200-kilowatt turboprop engine in the Chinese market.

Yin Zeyong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a senior aero-engine expert, noted that in 2024, general-aviation aircraft in China recorded 1.34 million flight hours.

By the end of 2045, the nation will boast 13,000 general-aviation aircraft, generating demand for nearly 10,000 engines, he said.