Latest news with #jetengines
Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Times
Rolls-Royce hails British support for next-generation jet engine
The UK is backing Rolls-Royce to become a global leader in the $1.6 trillion market for short-haul aircraft engines, by offering potential taxpayer support for its next generation of jet engines. The Rolls chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic this weekend confirmed that the Derby-based FTSE 100 engineer will return to the larger 'narrow body' or 'single aisle' market as Labour puts the move at the heart of its industrial strategy. 'This is the single-biggest opportunity for economic growth for the UK in the next 50 years,' he said. • Rolls-Royce has wowed the City — can it charm airlines too? The government last week said that 'gas turbines are critical to UK national and economic security, and our role and capabilities in the UK with companies like Rolls-Royce can lead to significant growth'. A priority would be to 'secure a UK engine position on next-generation single-aisle programmes', ministers outlined in the government's industrial strategy. In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times, Erginbilgic set out his strategy: • Rolls is in talks with a number of industrial and engineering partners over its new UltraFan engine, which could lead to the British firm reviving its joint venture with US rival Pratt & Whitney.• He confirmed talks with the government over taxpayer support for the new engine.• He insisted that a deal was still to be done with Airbus on the UltraFan despite the Franco-German planemaker hinting at a preference for different technology manufactured abroad.• Erginbilgic revealed plans to expand Rolls's nuclear energy programme with the development of smaller 'advanced modular reactors' that could be rolled out to power the military on the front line.• He expressed confidence that the Trump administration will not backtrack on the Aukus defence partnership.• He said that Rolls could benefit from increased defence spending by expanding into autonomous vehicles and drones. Erginbilgic has overseen a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of Rolls-Royce since he took the helm at the start of January 2023. Rolls's share price has risen by more than 800 per cent since, with the company now boasting a stock market valuation of £80 billion — making it the fifth-biggest company on the FTSE 100. The engineer's success stems in no small part from the building and maintenance of aircraft engines. Civil aerospace is Rolls-Royce's biggest single sector, accounting for about half of revenues and two-thirds of profits. The engines it makes, however, are only for long-haul planes — also known as 'wide body' or 'twin aisle' aircraft. Rolls has an estimated 44 per cent of the wide-body market globally. Its rival General Electric has 54 per cent. Development of the new £3 billion UltraFan engine has been in the works for a number of years. 'Given the technology we have, given the credibility we establish in the industry, and the financial strength we have and the engineering capability, we are actually saying we can play in the narrow-body [market],' Erginbilgic said. Moving into this market would present a challenge in scaling up Rolls's operations, because there are many times the number of short-haul aircraft as long-haul ones. To do so, Erginbilgic confirmed his preference to join forces with another engineering or industrial company. 'We are saying we have the engineering capability. But if you consider beyond engineering capability and so on, I believe … that [a partnership] may be the best outcome for the company,' he said. The Turkish-born executive refused to be drawn further on the names of potential partners. Industry sources pointed to the likes of Pratt & Whitney, with which Rolls had an ill-fated joint venture for short-haul engines before it collapsed more than a decade ago. Other potential parties include Mitsubishi and Kawasaki of Japan, Germany's MTU Aero Engines and South Korea's Hyundai. Erginbilgic said that he was in talks with the UK government for financial support to accelerate the UltraFan programme. 'This [state help] is not actually a new phenomenon; our competitors get this four or five times as much as we do,' he said. 'This is such a new development, such a big opportunity. We are effectively saying that in the development of this, actually a little bit of support would be great.' A major hurdle to entering the narrow-body market is striking a deal with one of the world's two main planemakers: Airbus and Boeing. Airbus is working on the next generation of its A320 workhorse, with its wing being developed at its centre of excellence in Bristol. The Franco-German company earlier this year hinted at a preference for an 'open-fan' engine developed by rival CFM — a joint venture between America's GE and French firm Safran — that appears to look more like a propeller than a 'closed duct' gas turbine. Asked whether Rolls had missed its opportunity to power the next generation of Airbus aircraft, Erginbilgic insisted: 'That's undecided … I talk to everybody.' Although civil aerospace represents the majority of Rolls-Royce' bottom line, the company's prowess in nuclear energy is exciting investors. Rolls manufactures power units for nuclear-powered submarines and has positioned itself to build a raft of small modular reactors — power stations the size of two football pitches — as part of the UK's push to decarbonise the electricity grid. • Rolls-Royce to build UK's first small nuclear power stations Erginbilgic said that nuclear power presented another big opportunity for Rolls. 'There is no other company on Earth — private company; I'm not including governments in this — with the nuclear skills that we have,' he said. 'What we do for nuclear submarines here, four companies do it in the US.' The 65-year-old revealed that Rolls was now expanding into the development of advanced modular reactors (AMRs), a type of small nuclear reactor that uses different fuels and technology and can be transported if required. 'We are actually working on technology in both areas in the US as well as the UK,' he said. 'Early applications will be really in space and defence.' One use of AMRs would be as a 'secure energy supply wherever your military is going', he said. Asked whether this would be a vital part of supporting military operations, he responded: 'Yes. That's my point. You cannot do it with SMR.' AMRs are considered novel technology and are likely to be many years away from practical usage. Elsewhere in defence, the future of the nuclear submarine deal between the UK, US and Australia — called Aukus — has been thrown into doubt after Donald Trump ordered Elbridge Colby, his adviser, to review it. The Aukus deal is worth billions of pounds to Rolls. Erginbilgic played down the prospect of the accord being scrapped. 'Yes, I am confident [in Aukus going ahead],' he said. 'The reality is that the UK government also reviewed; remember the whole defence review? 'So, they are doing a similar review. You cannot blame them for doing that. The UK government did the same thing. That is a normal review for a new government to do.' He continued: 'Even without Aukus, there is a submarine step-up, frankly.' Beyond submarines, Erginbilgic said that increased defence spending presented another opportunity for Rolls: 'Given what was published so far, and given what's going on in the world, autonomous [vehicles] and drones will be very important.' Erginbilgic admitted this was an area that Rolls had 'not been talking about', but added: 'But we have been developing products.'
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rolls-Royce plots market domination after ‘Turban Tufan's' turnaround
Five years after Rolls-Royce nearly collapsed under the weight of Covid, the British manufacturing giant is plotting a new era of industrial domination. Under the guidance of boss Tufan Erginbilgiç, nicknamed 'Turbo', Rolls has overcome an era of financial chaos and mismanagement to launch a renewed assault on the jet engine and nuclear power markets. As he declared the next stage of the company's strategy last week, the former BP executive said Rolls's revival will soon contribute 'the single biggest item for economic growth for the UK'. It is far from the gloomy message he told workers after landing as chief executive in 2023, when he described the engineering giant as a 'burning platform'. Speaking at the Paris Air Show last week, he said Rolls is stepping up plans to make engines for the short-haul planes that dominate air travel, after quitting the sector more than a decade ago. To some degree, the announcement encapsulated the radical turnaround at Britain's leading manufacturer, which now has a market capitalisation of £75bn, seven times higher than when Erginbilgiç took over in January 2023. He said talks with potential partners have intensified as Rolls aims to re-enter the £1.6 trillion short-haul aviation market, which will see the company building and maintaining engines for the likes of Ryanair. At the same time, its selection this month as preferred bidder to supply small modular reactors (SMRs) to the new Great British Nuclear has also given Rolls a critical first-mover advantage in the sector, according to the decision has already unleashed huge export interest as nations examine SMRs as a solution to requirements for cheaper power, energy security and 78pc of the SMR supply chain can be satisfied in Britain, he said, compared with just 60pc for offshore together, the two initiatives promise to create about 55,000 jobs across the supply chain, 40,000 of those in the aerospace sector and the rest in nuclear. Airline bosses hailed the return of Rolls to the short-haul market, particularly as it will pile pressure on the incumbents Pratt & Whitney (P&W) and General Electric (GE).József Váradi, the chief executive of low-cost carrier Wizz Air, urged Rolls to avoid teaming up with other engine manufacturers and instead go it alone. His support is perhaps unsurprising after Wizz has suffered years of disruption from defective engines made by P& said: 'I would welcome Rolls-Royce more as a third party as opposed to a joint venture party with one of the current players.'There will be a hell of a lot of growth in narrow-body planes in the future, so I definitely think it can bear more than two. A tripartite market would do a lot better for us.'Bringing a new engine to the market would cost £3bn, according to Erginbilgiç, who called on the Government to provide support matching the levels received by GE and P&W in the US. In return, he said, Rolls would deliver 'the single biggest item for economic growth for the UK'.Rolls's new short-haul turbine would need to produce about 30,000 pounds of thrust, compared with almost 100,000 for its larger A350 engine. He suggested this could be achieved by combining the core of a business jet engine with technology from the ongoing Ultrafan has said it plans to produce a demonstrator engine in two years, hopefully coinciding with Airbus and Boeing's plans to launch new single-aisle models before the end of the Váradi warned that a new engine is likely to come under intense scrutiny in light of problems suffered by the current generation of turbines, as supply chain constraints have triggered maintenance delays and safety concerns. He said: 'The regulator is going to be a lot more rigid and prudent than before, given all the issues in the industry. This is a long game with no room for shortcuts.'Erginbilgiç said he is wedded to a traditional design for the new engine, and has no plans to embrace the 'open rotor' approach being pursued by GE, which features large, curved propeller blades with no casing and aims to replicate the lower fuel burn of turboprop planes. While an open rotor might deliver a 20pc gain in efficiency compared with current engines, Rolls believes it can get within 2pc of that with a more conventional design at far less said: 'Our competitor is a very capable company. But you are changing everything: the aircraft, the engine, so the risk profile is by definition a lot greater.' Boeing has also questioned the use of an open rotor to power the next generation of single-aisle planes, while Erginbilgiç said there are concerns about the additional noise and whether people will want to look out of the window and see such an unusual said: 'I'm not sure passengers would like to see a big fan. Not everybody is comfortable with flying so you need to make it as comfortable and safe as possible.' Meanwhile, Erginbilgiç, who was formerly a partner at private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners, said that the company's SMR venture is now ready for take off after receiving government said the biggest export market is likely to be in Europe, 'where nuclear is the only solution if you want net zero and supply security'. Rolls already has a reactor contract in the Czech Republic and expects to sign a deal in Sweden soon, though the chief executive said that Rolls must carefully manage its order book. Construction of each SMR will take five years initially, he said, with two under way at any given said: 'We need to build our reputation, then business will come. It's not a new technology, but it's a new application. While SMRs are not the same as 'big nuclear,' he said, 'this industry doesn't have a great track record and we don't want to join that group'. However, he said that Rolls-Royce, which has 42,000 staff, holds a crucial advantage in both gas turbines and modular said: 'Only three companies in the world can do [jet engines] and barriers to entry are enormous. 'And if we are not the world leader in SMRs, we did something wrong, because there is no other private company in the world with our nuclear capability.' Asked if he had considered moving on with Rolls-Royce now ready to embark on a new phase in its 120-year history, the 65-year-old said he was 'very committed' and not tempted by potential lucrative rewards elsewhere. He said: 'It's not about money. If money was important, I wouldn't have come from private equity, trust me. I'm here because I would like to be here.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
Telegraph
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Rolls-Royce has been fixed and is now going on the attack
Five years after Rolls-Royce nearly collapsed under the weight of Covid, the British manufacturing giant is plotting a new era of industrial domination. Under the guidance of boss Tufan Erginbilgiç, nicknamed 'Turbo', Rolls has overcome an era of financial chaos and mismanagement to launch a renewed assault on the jet engine and nuclear power markets. As he declared the next stage of the company's strategy last week, the former BP executive said Rolls's revival will soon contribute 'the single biggest item for economic growth for the UK'. It is far from the gloomy message he told workers after landing as chief executive in 2023, when he described the engineering giant as a 'burning platform'. Speaking at the Paris Air Show last week, he said Rolls is stepping up plans to make engines for the short-haul planes that dominate air travel, after quitting the sector more than a decade ago. To some degree, the announcement encapsulated the radical turnaround at Britain's leading manufacturer, which now has a market capitalisation of £75bn, seven times higher than when Erginbilgiç took over in January 2023.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rolls-Royce boss urges Labour to back £3bn jet engine project
The chief executive of Rolls-Royce is lobbying ministers to support his company's £3bn jet engine project, saying it could be the 'the single biggest item for economic growth for the UK'. Tufan Erginbilgic is pushing for the Government to back Rolls's plans to launch a range of engines for short-haul planes, a market it abandoned more than a decade ago. He said the project could create 40,000 jobs in Britain and deliver a surge in exports. Mr Erginbilgic is lobbying Labour to support the scheme as the Government prepares to launch its upcoming industrial strategy. He said: 'Any country needs to support competitively advantaged industries. If you give some momentum that will create lots of export growth, and employment with that.' Britain's biggest manufacturing company has stepped up talks with potential partners as it eyes a return to making engines for short-haul planes of the kind used by Ryanair and easyJet. Speaking at the Paris Air Show, Mr Erginbilgic said: 'We are progressing. We would like to enter narrowbody, that's true, and it's even more true right now. 'Our preference is partnership. I can't go into details because of the confidentiality about these things, but we are talking to multiple parties. 'Do we have the technology, do we have the capability, do we have the opportunity? Yes, yes and yes.' Rolls-Royce would seek government support in helping to fund the £3bn development cost of the engine. Mr Erginbilgic argued that General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, the other major player in the sector, get four or five times as much backing. He said that support for the project would also deliver a huge boost to the economy. He said: 'It is that big. Think about that. If you pick economic growth in the UK, one item, this will be the number one.' He added that the project could create more than 40,000 jobs across the supply chain. Rolls, which has its main manufacturing plant in Derby, would use technology developed as part of its Ultrafan programme on the new engines. It would need to develop a reduced-thrust version of the Ultrafan, which was initially developed for larger, long-haul planes. The 120-year-old company aims to develop the engines to coincide with the introduction of the next generation of the narrowbody planes from Airbus and Boeing in about a decade's time. Mr Erginbilgic is eyeing new markets after piloting a stunning turnaround at Rolls-Royce. He told Rolls's 42,000 workers that they were on a 'burning platform' when he took over in 2023. However, shares in the company have surged more than 700pc since Mr Erginbilgic, a former BP executive, took charge. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NTSB issues urgent safety bulletin about engines found in some Boeing 737 Max jets
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an urgent safety recommendation Wednesday to modify jet engines on Boeing's 737 Max airplanes to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin in certain scenarios. The warning comes after two incidents involving Southwest Airlines planes equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines that experienced bird strikes in 2023. The NTSB said that these CFM engines have a safety feature, called a load reduction device, that can inadvertently damage the oil system of the engines once it activates after a bird strike. The damage can result in smoke forming from hot oil released into the engine and entering the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin. The NTSB investigated an incident in December 2023 involving a Southwest Airlines plane that struck a bird while taking off from New Orleans. The plane landed quickly after "acrid white smoke" filled the cockpit and was so thick that the captain said it was hard to see the instrument panel. Southwest Adds 'Powerful' Cockpit Alert System To Detect Runway Danger Another incident nine months earlier involving similar engine damage happened on another Southwest flight from Havana, Cuba, after birds were ingested into an engine shortly after takeoff, resulting in smoke filling the cabin. Read On The Fox Business App In both cases, the flights landed safely, and no one was injured. The NTSB also recommended evaluating the potential for the same issue with CFM's LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C engines, which are used on some Airbus A320neo planes and C919 jets made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. CFM is owned by GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. Boeing Shares Slide After Air India Crash The Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing both said they agreed with the NTSB recommendations and have already warned airlines and pilots about the problem. "We advised operators to evaluate their procedures and crew training to ensure they address this potential issue," the FAA said. "When the engine manufacturer develops a permanent mitigation, we will require operators to implement it within an appropriate timeframe." Boeing said that CFM and Boeing "have been working on a software design update." Reuters contributed to this article source: NTSB issues urgent safety bulletin about engines found in some Boeing 737 Max jets
