Go-ahead for Rolls-Royce turbine blade plant

The industrial unit, at the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Catcliffe, forms the second phase of the engineering giant’s multi-million hi-tech development scheme.

Building work is already underway for the firm’s first factory and with this latest edition, a total of 360 jobs could be brought to Rotherham.

Councillors voted unanimously for the plans yesterday.

Rolls-Royce said that it had decided to build the facilities in Rotherham because of the availability of people with the required skills, existing links with suppliers from the region and ease of access to other parts of the UK and rest of the world.

Outline planning permission for this site was granted in December 2011, but Rolls Royce decided that they needed to purchase a larger site for the development and had to re-submit their plans.

Business secretary Vince Cable was given the task of cutting the first sod at the first factory in June.

The Advanced Blade Casting Facility will create turbine blade castings for the firms large civil Trent aircraft.

The ABCF will use cutting edge manufacturing techniques to produce single crystal turbine blades, which play a critical role in jet engines and must withstand incredibly harsh conditions.

The first blades will be produced in late 2014, with the centre capable of manufacturing 100,000 a year when fully operational.

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