LONDON - Following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) announced by Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza (Safran) in July 2014, the firms have signed a final agreement to create a jointly-owned company that will design, develop, produce and support accessory drive train transmissions (ADT) for all of Rolls-Royce's future civil aircraft engines.
The new company will capitalize on its parent companies' combined experience and expertise, encompassing the design and production of accessory drive transmissions by Hispano-Suiza, and engine design and propulsion system integration by Rolls-Royce.
Based on an initial exclusive 25-year contract, the joint company will cover the entire range of civil aircraft, from business jets to widebody commercial jets. In particular, it will contribute to the Airbus A330neo, a new aircraft for which Rolls-Royce won the engine contract in July 2014 with its Trent 7000.
The new joint venture company will be headquartered at Hispano-Suiza's site in Colombes, in the greater Paris area, and will also operate at Rolls-Royce's facilities in Derby (United Kingdom) and in Dahlewitz (Germany).
A production plant will be built in a competitive country starting in 2015, with the aim of starting operations in late 2016 or early 2017. The joint venture company will initially total about 180 employees, including staff from its parent companies.