Rolls-Royce opens mtu combustion engine assembly plant in Germany

Rolls-Royce has opened a new assembly plant for its mtu Series 2000 engines in Kluftern near Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The new multimillion euro production facility was announced in 2021 and will create a space for the assembly and shipping of mtu Series 2000 engines.

The existing assembly halls in Rolls-Royce’s Plant 2 in Friedrichshafen will now be modernised for the production of Series 4000 engines.

The new building will include a 1.2MW solar photovoltaic system, e-charging columns to encourage greener mobility, as well as smart building control to maximise energy efficiency.

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Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems suggested in a statement that the internal combustion engine will play a continued role in the energy transition due to the increased uptake of sustainable fuels.

“We are convinced that, in conjunction with sustainable fuels and new technologies, the internal combustion engine will play a central role in the future. Because it's the fuel that matters, not the engine.”

According to Rolls-Royce, the company is focusing on developing engines that can run on a wide range of sustainable fuels, replacing fossil fuels to reduce emissions.

Many mtu engines from Rolls-Royce have already been released for use with hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) oil, which enables up to 90% CO2 reduction as well as reducing particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions.

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The oil can be produced on an industrial scale from HVO and waste materials from the catering and food industries.

Jörg Stratmann explained: "We are doing everything we can to make the internal combustion engine climate-neutral with sustainable fuels and in combination with new technologies. But this can only be achieved if the political framework conditions are set so that alternative fuels can be successfully ramped up."