Rolls-Royce’s German facility in Dahlewitz near Berlin has received the first Trent 1000 scheduled for overhaul at the site.
The arrival of the Boeing 787 powerplant follows the UK engine maker’s pledge in March to invest £55 million ($70 million) in assembly, test and shop visit capacity in the UK and Germany to meet forecast long-term demand.
Around half the investment will be in Dahlewitz, which is better known as the propulsion specialist’s centre of excellence for business jet engines.
In the short-term, this will see existing test capacity at the site focus on the Trent 1000 engine, enabling the introduction of a durability-enhancement package next year.
Designed to address persistent durability issues with the engine, a modified high-pressure turbine blade is yet to receive US regulatory clearance.
A second package of hot-section enhancements, available in 2026, will deliver a further improvement of up to 30%.
In the longer term, Dahlewitz will transition to assembly of the Trent XWB-84 engine, the exclusive powerplant for the Airbus A350-900.
“We’re investing in a resilient future and plan to significantly increase our global MRO capacity and capability by 2030,” says Paul Keenan, director – commercial aviation aftermarket operations, Rolls-Royce.
“Earlier this year, we announced investment in our Dahlewitz site and today marks an important milestone on that journey as we see the first Trent 1000 arriving for overhaul.”
Rolls-Royce expects an annual increase of 7-9% in aircraft powered by its engines in service for the remainder of the decade.
