This near-term target plays a significant role in Rolls-Royce Group’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest. To accomplish that mission, the role of pioneer goes to Power Systems: “With ‘Net Zero at Power Systems’, we’re not just taking action to protect the environment. We’re realigning our strategy towards eco-friendly energy and propulsion systems. We already see these explicitly as growth opportunities for our business in the coming years,” said Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
A key element in achieving these goals is the certification of the most important mtu engine products, which will run on sustainable fuels from as early as 2023 and then be successively brought into use. “The certification means that the new generation of Series 2000 and 4000 engines, that currently account for 85% of our sales revenues, will be qualified to run on second-generation bio-fuels and on E-fuels,” explained Dr Otto Preiss, Chief Technology Officer and COO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems
One of these developments is the firm’s new partnership with MAN Energy Solutions to cooperate on turbochargers, while another is the expansion of its MTU Aiken facility.
The agreement with MAN Energy Solutions will see MAN’s PBST brand distribute the advanced mtu turbochargers. “With this cooperation, we are combining our competencies – on the one hand, PBST’s global sales structure for turbochargers and, on the other hand, Rolls-Royce’s latest high-efficiency mtu turbocharger technology for high-speed diesel and gas engines,” explained Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
The turbochargers developed and produced in-house by Rolls-Royce Power Systems will be made available in additional markets. For Rolls-Royce, this creates a new channel for sales in addition to Woodward L’Orange. PBST will include the latest generation of the mtu turbocharger family ZR1 to ZR5 in its product portfolio and will distribute them under the series name HIRO in the future.
“We are now able to offer our customers the right turbocharger for their high-, medium- and low-speed applications under one roof via the PBST brand,” said Dr Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions.
The mtu turbochargers are offered on the basis of a modular system for engines in the 400-2,500kW power ranges in single- and two-stage versions. Rolls-Royce designs them to meet the specific requirements of various applications.
“Advanced turbocharging helps engines achieve low fuel consumption and high power over a wide speed range. It is an important building block for meeting increasingly stringent emissions requirements in the future – without compromising engine performance or efficiency,” explained Dr Preiss. “With the aim of offering new propulsion and energy solutions for a climate-neutral future, we are also currently working on electrically assisted turbochargers for greater agility and lower fuel consumption, as well as on turbocharger concepts for fuel cells.”
Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is to expand its mtu Aiken Plant to add remanufacturing and overhaul capabilities. The new regional center will leverage existing infrastructure at the plant to offer expanded services to meet growing demand from customers in the Americas. The Aiken campus will also remanufacture mtu Series 2000 and 4000 engines.
This $17.4 million investment at its mtu Aiken manufacturing facility will be built next to the mtu Aiken plant’s existing engine manufacturing operations. The new centre will bring currently outsourced workshop and warehouse operations in-house and expand them to provide remanufacturing of mtu Series 2000 and 4000 engines and components, the overhaul of mtu brand and customer owned engines, plus internal and external rework services to help customers and distributors fine-tune maintenance and performance.
“Investing in a remanufacturing and overhaul centre in the United States is the next milestone in implementing our global strategy to optimise the value of our installed base, with regional centers and supporting workshops offering the best support for our customers,” said Dr Preiss.
The facility at Aiken will feature distinct work areas to carry out the remanufacturing and overhaul process: core management; cleaning and disassembly; measuring and inspection; rework; reassembly; test; painting and packaging. Upon start-up, the centre will remanufacture all applications of mtu Series 2000, Series 4000, and legacy Detroit Diesel two stroke-Cycle engines. The future aim is to add capabilities to support the company’s sustainable solutions such as battery containers, along with natural gas engines and systems.
