The environmentally friendly engine programme addresses the challenge of climate change

The newly appointed Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, is visiting Rolls-Royce in Derby today to see progress on the £95 million Environmentally Friendly Engine (EFE) programme, which is now entering its manufacturing phase.

EFE, which is part of the UK’s National Aerospace Technology Strategy, is an aero engine technology demonstration programme that will validate new technologies aimed at reducing noise, fuel burn and emissions, and integrate and test them in a full engine demonstrator that will run next year.

Launched in 2006 and scheduled to run until the end of 2010, the programme will make a major contribution towards achieving the industry targets of 50 per cent lower CO2 emissions, 80 per cent lower NOx emissions and 50 per cent less noise by 2020, all from a 2000 baseline.

Rolls-Royce is leading the programme and its partners include Bombardier Aerospace, Goodrich Corporation, HS Marston Aerospace and Unison Engine Components and the universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, Loughborough, Oxford, Sheffield and Queens, Belfast.

Sir John Rose, Rolls-Royce Chief Executive, said: "Innovation will be at the heart of society’s response to climate change, with new technology having to be applied on an industrial scale if that response is to be effective.

“Building on Rolls-Royce’s strong track-record of technological excellence, the Environmentally Friendly Engine programme will develop the advanced technologies required for cleaner and quieter aero engines and will help the aviation industry meet demanding new targets aimed at reducing its environmental footprint.”

More than 50 per cent of the investment in EFE will come directly from the industry partners, with the balance being funded by the UK Government’s Technology Programme, sponsored by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Defence, Regional Development Agencies in England and the Devolved Administration in Northern Ireland.

Initial component manufacture has begun at the industrial partners’ facilities in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Hucknall, Wolverhampton and Burnley. These latest technology parts will be assembled in an engine demonstrator at Rolls-Royce Bristol, which will undergo a series of test runs in a converted test facility from 2008. The South-West Regional Development Agency is contributing funds to convert the Bristol test facility for EFE use, while the East Midlands Development Agency is funding elements of design and manufacture in Derby and Hucknall.