Category: Joint Venture News (Page 19 of 34)

Airbus Atlantic Launches, Creating a New Global Player for Aero Structures

January 4, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France January 2022 – A wholly-owned Airbus subsidiary, Airbus Atlantic, a global player in the aerostructures field, was officially established on 1st January 2022. The new company groups the strengths, resources and skills of the Airbus (OTC: EADSY) sites in Nantes and Montoir-de-Bretagne, the central functions associated with their activities, as well as the STELIA Aerospace sites worldwide.

This unification is part of the transformation project announced in April 2021, aimed at strengthening the value chain of aerostructure assembly within Airbus’s industrial setup, this activity being considered as core business. It marks the intention to gain competitiveness, innovation and quality for the benefit of Airbus’s programmes of today and tomorrow.

As such, Airbus Atlantic will be an essential element in the group’s value chain and will play a key role with regard to the aerostructure supply chain, with more than 500 direct suppliers (flying products) and more than 2,000 indirect suppliers (general procurement products).

With 13,000 staff in 5 countries and 3 continents, and an estimated business volume of around 3.5 Bn euros, Airbus Atlantic is the world number two for aerostructures, world number one for pilot seats and ranks in the top three for Business Class and First Class passenger seats, which continue to be marketed under the STELIA Aerospace brand.

Heart Aerospace Selects Garmin G3000 Flight Deck for First All-Electric Airliner

December 14, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

OLATHE, Kansas/Business Wire – Garmin^® International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN), has announced a long-term agreement with Heart Aerospace to provide the state-of-the-art Garmin G3000^®integrated flight deck for the ES-19 electric airliner. Heart Aerospace is working to develop the new ES-19, a 19-seat electric airliner that has the potential to provide the regional air transport market with a more sustainable and environmentally friendly aircraft option as early as 2026. Additionally, United Airlines has conditionally agreed to purchase 100 ES-19 aircraft once the aircraft meets United’s safety, business and operating requirements.

The modular Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck boasts lightweight and vibrant high-resolution flight displays that support navigation, communication and flight sensor solutions and integrates seamlessly into the ES-19 aircraft systems. Specifically tailored to meet the needs of electric aircraft, the G3000 system that will be featured in Heart Aerospace’s ES-19 delivers enhanced capabilities to optimize the aircraft’s electric drive train and battery management systems. The G3000 is architected to provide the ability to efficiently facilitate future system upgrades as the electric aircraft industry continues to evolve.

Heart Aerospace is an electric airplane company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, developing the ES-19, a nineteen-passenger regional aircraft driven entirely by batteries and electric motors. The first ES-19 is scheduled to enter into service by 2026. The first-generation aircraft will have a maximum range of up to 250 miles using lithium-ion batteries. The ES-19 will have zero operational emissions and offer significantly lower operating costs compared to similar sized gas-turbine aircraft. The ES-19 aircraft will also be quieter than its turboprop counterparts, with less vibration and noise, making it ideal for the development of short-range regional air travel.

United’s Aviate Academy First Class Start Today at New Training Facility in Phoenix

December 6, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAL) today announced the inaugural class of 30 United Aviate Academy students will begin their studies on Dec. 6 at the new flight training academy at Phoenix Goodyear Airport. The first class, 80% of whom are women or people of color, will complete a rigorous, year-long training program that sets them up for a career that reflects United’s high standard of professionalism and deep commitment to delivering a safe, caring, dependable and efficient travel experience. United Aviate Academy received more than 7,500 applications from aspiring pilots around the country in less than six months, with nearly 75% of those applicants being women or people of color.

After completing their training at the academy, students will build flight and leadership experience while working within the Aviate pilot development ecosystem at partner universities, professional flight training organizations and United Express carriers on their way to becoming United pilots.

The state-of-the-art, 340,000 square-foot facility at Phoenix Goodyear Airport, which United Aviate Academy will lease from the city of Phoenix, will provide aspiring pilots with industry-leading resources, equipment, and accommodations. The facility was previously home to Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT), and United Aviate Academy will sublease part of its facility to LAT, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa, a United Star Alliance partner.

Saab Expands Cooperation Within Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb Campaign

November 30, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Saab has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nammo and Nordic Shelter to support the ongoing GLSDB (Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb) campaign.

The new agreement was announced during a signing 23 November 2021 in Oslo, Norway. Nammo will contribute with its expertise in rocket motor development and production as part of the GLSDB propulsion sub-system. Nordic Shelter brings the knowledge and experience needed for the development and production of a modular GLSDB launcher, based on a purpose built 20-foot ISO-container.

GLSDB is a long range, precision artillery system developed by Saab and Boeing. The system is based on Boeing’s air-launched Small Diameter Bomb, which has been in production since 2006, with more than 30 000 units shipped. GLSDB enables Small Diameter Bomb to be ground-launched from a wide variety of launchers and configurations.

First Naval Combat H225M Ever Built Delivered to Brazilian Navy

November 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first H225M in naval combat configuration to the Brazilian Navy. Stationed at the naval base in São Pedro d’Aldeia, the aircraft will boost the Brazilian Navy’s mission capabilities including anti-surface warfare and maritime surveillance.

Developed by the engineering team at Helibras (the Brazilian subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters), this naval version of the H225M aircraft is the most complex configuration that has ever been produced for this multirole helicopter. The aircraft’s embedded systems include the EWS IDAS-3 (countermeasure system), MBDA Exocet AM39 B2M2 missiles, the APS143 tactical radar and the naval mission system N-TDMS (Naval Tactical Data Management System) developed in partnership with Atech and Airbus Defense and Space, which is responsible for making the command and control of all embedded systems, including the missile system.

The last stage of the firing campaign with the Exocet AM39 B2M2 missiles was successfully carried out last June, representing a major milestone in the programme, which led the way to qualification and delivery.

The naval H225M is part of the contract signed by the Brazilian government in 2008 and which includes 50 H225Ms to be operated by the three armed forces. So far, 39 H225Ms have been delivered to the Brazilian Armed Forces, all of them assembled locally by Helibras.

Southwest Airlines Announces 15 Year Agreement for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

November 10, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Dallas, Texas — Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE: LUV) today announced a 15-year agreement with Velocys Renewables LLC for 219 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Once blended with conventional jet fuel, the SAF could produce the equivalent of 575 million gallons of net zero fuel and avoid 6.5 million metric tons of CO2 over the term of the agreement. Southwest plans to begin purchasing SAF from the Velocys Bayou Fuels facility in Natchez, Mississippi, as early as 2026.

Additionally, as part of the offtake agreement, Southwest and Velocys have established a long-term strategic relationship, offering Southwest the opportunity to purchase significant volumes of SAF from future Velocys facilities.

Southwest recognizes the critical role that commercially viable SAF will play in the carrier’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world and strives to maintain a steadfast focus on a triple bottom line.

Embraer Presents Energia Family, Four New Aircraft Concepts Using Renewable Energy

November 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) has announced a family of concept aircraft that it is exploring to help the industry achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The details of the Energia family, the latest in the company’s Sustainability in Action initiative, were broadcast live via YouTube from Embraer’s manufacturing facility in São José dos Campos.

The company has partnered with an international consortium of engineering universities, aeronautical research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises to better understand energy harvesting, storage, thermal management and their applications for sustainable aircraft propulsionThe Energia Family is comprised of four concept aircraft of varying sizes that incorporate different propulsion technologies – electric, hydrogen fuel cell, dual fuel gas turbine, and hybrid-electric.

Energia Hybrid (E9-HE) – hybrid-electric propulsion • up to 90% CO2 emissions reduction • 9 seats • rear-mounted engines • technology readiness –2030

Energia Electric (E9-FE) – full electric propulsion • zero CO2 emissions • 9 seats • aft contra-rotating propeller • technology readiness – 2035

Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC) – hydrogen electric propulsion • zero CO2 emissions • 19 seats • rear-mounted electric engines • technology readiness – 2035

Energia H2 Gas Turbine (E50-H2GT) • hydrogen or SAF/JetA urbine propulsion • up to 100% CO2 emissions reduction • 35 to 50 seats • rear-mounted engines • technology readiness – 2040

Although the Energia airplanes are still on the drawing board, Embraer has already made advances in reducing emissions from its aircraft. It has tested drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), mixes of sugarcane and camelina plant-derived fuel and fossil fuel, on its family of E-Jets. The company is targeting to have all Embraer aircraft SAF-compatible by 2030. Last August, Embraer flew its Electric Demonstrator, a single-engine EMB-203 Ipanema, 100% powered by electricity. A hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator is planned for 2025 and the company’s eVTOL, a fully electric, zero-emissions vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, is being developed to enter service in 2026.

Watch the video presentation below!

Rolls-Royce Announces Funding Secured for Small Modular Reactors

November 8, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR.L) announced today that following a successful equity raise, the Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) business has today been established, to bring forward and deliver at scale the next generation of low cost, low carbon nuclear power technology.

Rolls-Royce Group, BNF Resources UK Limited and Exelon Generation Limited will invest £195m across a period of around three years. The funding will enable the business to secure grant funding of £210 million from UK Research and Innovation funding, first announced by the UK Prime Minister in ‘The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’. Today’s announcement is another step towards the delivery of the Government’s net zero strategy and its 10-point plan.

The business, which will continue to seek further investment, will now proceed rapidly with a range of parallel delivery activities, including entry to the UK Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process and identifying sites for the factories which will manufacture the modules that enable on-site assembly of the power plants. Discussions will also continue with the UK Government on identifying the delivery models that will enable long-term investment in this vital, net-zero enabling technology. Rolls-Royce SMR is engaging with export customers across many continents who need this technology to meet their own net zero commitments.

Rolls-Royce SMR is using proven nuclear technology, coupled with a unique factory-made module manufacturing and on-site assembly system, to harness decades of British engineering, design and manufacturing knowhow. It brings together the best of UK industry to ensure a decarbonisation solution that will be available to the UK grid in the early 2030s. The potential for this to be a leading global export for the UK is unprecedented.

Nine-tenths of an individual Rolls-Royce SMR power plant will be built or assembled in factory conditions and around 80% could be delivered by a UK supply chain – a unique offering in energy infrastructure in the UK. Much of the venture’s investment is expected to be focused in the North of the UK, where there is significant existing nuclear expertise

A single Rolls-Royce SMR power station will occupy the footprint of two football pitches and power approximately one million homes. It can support both on-grid electricity and a range of off-grid clean energy solutions, enabling the decarbonisation of industrial processes and the production of clean fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and green hydrogen, to support the energy transition in the wider heat and transportation sectors.

Rolls-Royce to Supply MTU Engines for 80-ton Bollard Pull Tugboats in Brazil

November 5, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR.L) has secured a significant contract to supply eight of its mtu 16V ₄₀₀₀ M6₅L engines for four 80-ton bollard pull tugboats to be built by Detroit Brasil, Ltda. and operated by Starnav Servicos Maritimos Ltda. The new tugs will feature a hybrid propulsion system, combining the mtu engines and mtu Blue Vision New Generation (BVNG) monitoring system with Z-drive thrusters, hybrid components and controls from Schottel, a manufacturer of propulsion and steering systems for ships and offshore applications.

While Rolls-Royce has supplied mtu Series 4000 engines to Detroit Brasil for several vessel projects in the past, this marks the first time Rolls-Royce will be supplying engines for 80-ton- bollard pull tugboats to the company and the first time that the high performance mtu 16V ₄₀₀₀ M6₅L engines which deliver 2560 kW at 1,800 rpm will be used in Latin America. Once the new tugs are entered into service, Starnav Serviços Marítimos Ltda. will run a total of 96 mtu Series 4000 engines in their fleet of harbor tugs and offshore vessels.

The mtu engines will be delivered in phases, with two delivered in August, two more in October, and two ship-sets consisting of two engines each for delivery in December.

Rolls-Royce Strengthens Position in China with New MTU Engine Test Bench

November 2, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (London: RR.L) business unit Power Systems is strengthening its research and development (R&D) capabilities in China with a new test bench for MTU engines at the company’s location in Suzhou. The new test bench was inaugurated as part of an event celebrating 25 years of the Rolls-Royce location’s existence. The R&D test bench can accommodate MTU engines with a power output of up to 3,600 kW and will be used to test parts, engines and complete systems for power generation and industrial applications.

The new R&D test bench in Suzhou will first be used for test runs of gensets based on MTU 16V 4000 engines, starting in 2022. It is suitable for testing a wide range of versions of the versatile Series 4000 engine which is also celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year. A further upgrade of the test bench is planned for 2022: The capabilities will be extended to testing MTU Series 2000 engines as well.

The company opened its first facility in Suzhou 25 years ago to provide customers in China with faster and more efficient after-sale services in applications such as railway, marine and power generation. Suzhou later became the third production base for MTU engines globally at that time, responsible for the assembly of MTU Series 2000 gendrive engines. Branches in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian were also established gradually. In October 2021, the former MTU Engineering (Suzhou) Co.,Ltd. was renamed Rolls-Royce Solutions (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.

With the new test bench, the localization strategy of Rolls-Royce Power Systems in Suzhou is now covering the whole process ranging from sales and services to manufacturing and R&D.

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