Rolls-Royce announces £150m investment in UK aerospace facilities

Rolls-Royce has announced a £150m investment in new and existing civil aerospace facilities in the UK to support the planned doubling of engine production and deliver on its record civil aerospace order book. The investment, which will be made over the next few years, is part of Rolls-Royce’s ongoing industrial transformation and will provide additional capacity as it developes and tests the next generation of aero engines. The majority of the investment, which is in-line with the Group’s ongoing planned expenditure, will provide a new facility for the testing of large civil aero engines in Derby, the home of Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division. The new testbed will be capable of testing a range of engines including the Trent XWB, which powers the Airbus A350 XWB. There will also be investment in Rolls-Royce’s large engine Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility in Derby, as well as in its manufacturing facilities in Derby and Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. Rolls-Royce has also committed to retaining the Precision Machining Facility (PMF) in Derby, which the company previously announced would be closed. A constructive dialogue with its senior union representatives in the UK has underpinned the decision to invest in Derby, helping to sustain more than 7,000 Rolls-Royce jobs across the East Midlands and facilitating the ramp-up in engine production.