Rolls-Royce and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company have confirmed plans to build a manufacturing facility that will produce aero engine components.
The companies also announced details of a new approved maintenance centre (AMC) in the emirate which will be the second AMC in which Rolls-Royce does not hold an equity stake.
The plans are part of Rolls-Royce’s strategy of developing a Trent Service Network to support the growing number of Trent engines that will enter service.
Mubadala said it will create a purpose-built facility that will carry out work on the Trent XWB, the engine that powers the Airbus A350 XWB.
The Middle East region is forecast to have one of the world’s largest concentrations of Trent XWB engines with more than 20 percent of the 1,600 sold to date, due to be operated by airlines in the region, including the 62 A350s to be operated by Etihad Airways.
Mubadala will also open a new manufacturing centre that will deliver parts for the Trent engine family, including the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. This new manufacturing center will complement the existing disc manufacturing investment that Rolls-Royce has previously made in Washington, UK and Crosspointe, US.
The announcement, made at the Farnborough Airshow, followsan agreement signed at the Dubai Airshow in November 2013 to establish Abu Dhabi as a key member of Rolls-Royce’s global network for maintenance and manufacturing.
Homaid Al Shimmari, Mubadala, CEO, Aerospace & Engineering Services, said: “The creation of a new approved maintenance centre and an engine component manufacturing facility are both key milestones in the creation of a leading global aerospace hub in Abu Dhabi, further driving economic diversification.”
Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce, president – Civil Aerospace, added: “We’re pleased to work with Mubadala as it creates a global aerospace hub in Abu Dhabi. The creation of a new Trent XWB approved maintenance centre, alongside manufacturing capability in the UAE, further demonstrates our commitment to this region, which is now so critical to the growth of our business.”
The AMC will service up to 150 engines a year in a new facility located at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, which is expected to be operational in 2021.
A statement said the AMC agreement will be finalised in the second half of 2016, and construction of the AMC facility is expected to begin as early as 2017.
The manufacturing centre is expected to start operations in 2018.
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