François Lepot, CEO of Safran Aero Boosters, has announced that a new compressor blades and vanes production plant for aircraft engines is to be established in the Walloon region of Belgium, in the province of Liège. A €50 million investment is to be made in a refurbished site where titanium compressor blades will be manufactured, including those required for the LEAP engine.
This production line will bolster Safran Aero Boosters' industrial expertise in its flagship product, the low-pressure compressor. Bearing the name Safran Blades, the production unit is being set up in partnership with the Belgian and Walloon federal authorities, the Société Régionale dʼInvestissement de Wallonie (S.R.I.W) and the Société Fédérale de Participations et d'Investissement (S.F.P.I.M).
Safran Aero Boosters has a majority stake of 56% and the two partners each hold 22%. The 10,000-square-metre centre of excellence is located in Marchin, on a former ArcelorMittal site that will be completely refurbished, incorporating Safran's best industrial technologies to meet the highest global standards. Featuring automation, highly qualified personnel and the most advanced digital technologies, Plant 4.0 will produce more than 2,000 blades and vanes per day, with innovative, autonomous real-time quality control at every critical stage of production.
The unit is planned to become operational in 2025 and will provide jobs for around 100 people. Additionally, the site is designed to meet the highest standards in terms of sustainable development, with a significant reduction in energy and water consumption and the use of renewable energy (solar panels, hydraulic turbines, etc.).
