Rolls-Royce to build new facilities in UK & Singapore

28th Jul 2009 06:56

Aero engine developer Rolls-Royce is to build four new factories and invest in two advanced research programmes in the UK.The company will spend more than £300m on the four factories, with the government chipping in with £45m of support.A new casting facility for single crystal turbine blades, an advanced disc manufacturing facility, and a civil nuclear facility will be built in the UK, while the group’s Barnoldswick operations will be augmented by a military wide chord fan blade facility.The new research programmes will investigate low carbon aircraft engine technologies and Strategic Affordable Manufacturing in the UK through Leading Environmental Technologies (SAMULET).As well as the UK investment Rolls-Royce announced plans to build a new wide chord fan blade factory in Singapore at the group’s Seletar Campus. The facility will be built alongside the previously announced the previously announced “Facility of the Future” which is being built to test and assemble Trent aero engines.The new investment takes spending on new facilities in Singapore up to around £300m. “These are significant investments in capability and research which reflect our commitment to continue to invest in the future of our business, even at this stage in the economic cycle. We are delighted that the British Government will be supporting these projects," said Rolls-Royce’s chief executive, Sir John Rose.