PM visits Rolls-Royce's Bristol site
Image courtesy Rolls-Royce / © Crown Copyright 2021
The Prime Minister met with engineers, including apprentices, from across Rolls-Royce’s defence aerospace and naval programmes.
Rolls-Royce is committed to net zero by 2050, has signed up to the UN’s Race to Zero, and has set targets to reduce the CO2 of our operations. The organisation’s Bristol site is set to be the first Rolls-Royce facility to achieve net zero carbon status in 2022, and during his visit the Prime Minister was able to tour some of the engineering and manufacturing facilities that will help contribute to this. This included observing ongoing work on key Defence programmes such as the EJ200 engine that powers the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and is now capable of operating using 50 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Warren East, CEO of Rolls-Royce, said: “We are honoured to host the UK Prime Minister at our Bristol site today and share with them just some of our pioneering technologies that will enable a net zero world.
Throughout Rolls-Royce, we are leading the transition to net zero to deliver sustainable power solutions for our customers. Rolls-Royce in Bristol is a great example – by using our technologies it will become one of the world’s first net zero industrial sites in 2022.
Today’s visit has given us an opportunity for the UK Prime Minister to meet our people, including apprentices who will be our net zero future.”
The decarbonisation of core markets, including Defence, is a strategic objective for Rolls-Royce and the development of innovative technologies such as SAF, Small Modular Reactors, Microgrids and all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion solutions will have a fundamental role to play in enabling and accelerating this transition.
With over 3,000 employees including over 130 apprentices, the Rolls-Royce Bristol site has been the origin of innovation across Defence, Civil Aerospace and Marine platforms, with over 100 years of experience in pioneering power for customers. The site is now playing a leading role in helping the organisation achieve its Net Zero goals which includes installing a microgrid on site. Bristol also benefits from 3.4MW of onsite solar power providing savings of 1,600 tonnes of CO²e per year and 13 Ground Source Heat Pumps providing 750m² solar thermal power delivering savings of 1,512 tonnes CO²e per year.
Alongside the Prime Minister’s tour the Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace was welcomed by apprentices from the organisation’s LiftWorks facility where the manufacturing of the Short-Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) capability for the F-35 combat aircraft takes place.
