Rolls-Royce has broken ground on a new testbed facility in Derby, UK, as part of a £150m investment to bolster its aerospace facilities in the country.
The plan for new testbed was announced in June 2017. It is expected to be commissioned in 2020.
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Once operational, it can test a range of the latest engines, including the Trent XWB and the Trent 1000, and serve as a base for testing UltraFan, which is the company’s engine for the next generation of aircraft.
The new testbed will leverage digital technology to set conditions and secure evidence from a wide variety of test activities such as water ingestion and endurance testing.
It will also feature latest advancements in test equipment, including new X-ray capabilities.
The 7,500m2 internal area of the testbed will be larger than a Premiership football pitch.
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By GlobalDataDerby is the home of the company’s civil aerospace division and the latest investment will help to sustain more than 7,000 Rolls-Royce jobs across the East Midlands.
Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace president Chris Cholerton said: “It comes at a pivotal moment for our civil aerospace business as we ramp up production to record levels and look forward to completing a hat-trick of new engine launches, with the Trent 7000 set to enter service later this year. This new facility will not only give us the capacity and flexibility to deliver on our growth plans but also sustains employment across the region.”
Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “The ground-breaking of this new testbed facility is a reminder of Rolls-Royce’s commitment to Derby and the UK, and signifies the next chapter in Rolls-Royce’s proud history.”
Currently, Rolls-Royce employs around 22,300 people in the UK.
Alongside the Trent XWB engine, Rolls-Royce assembles the Trent 700, Trent 900 and Trent 1000 engines in Derby, UK.
