Government backs low carbon aerospace with £45m of research
projects
£45 million Government support to research and
develop more fuel-efficient, lower-carbon aero engines will fund
new partnerships between Rolls-Royce and universities around the
UK.
Research projects will be overseen by the
Technology Strategy Board and include: developing lighter fans that
reduce fuel consumption; simulation technology for virtual
engineering; new, affordable high temperature alloys to improve
fuel efficiency.
Rolls-Royce will partner with the following universities:
Birmingham; Bristol; Cambridge; Imperial College London;
Loughborough; Nottingham; Oxford; Southampton; Surrey; Swansea.
Lord Mandelson also welcomed the Rolls-Royce
commitment to build a new aero-engine disc facility in Washington,
Sunderland.
Speaking at a Rolls-Royce Advanced
Manufacturing Exhibition, Lord Mandelson said:
“The knowledge, skills and high-end production
the UK offers give us huge opportunities to benefit as global
demand for low carbon products grows.
“These new projects will help our world class
aerospace industry to meet that growing low carbon demand.
“Rolls-Royce represents some of the best of
British advanced manufacturing. Its plans to site a new factory in
the North East underline the company’s commitment to British
manufacturing excellence.”
Ric Parker, Director of Research and
Technology, Rolls-Royce, said:
"This is a good example of government,
industry and academia coming together to expand Britain’s
capabilities in high value added manufacturing. The innovative,
high value-added work that the SILOET programme is addressing will
influence future aero-engine architecture and help to further
reduce the impact of aviation on the environment."
The disc facility is one of four new
facilities Rolls-Royce is to build in the UK which will secure or
create 800 jobs in innovative high-value manufacturing programmes
over the long term.