At the end of June, Rolls-Royce (www.rolls-royce.com) announced a £150 million investment in new and existing civil aerospace facilities in the UK to support its planned doubling of engine production and deliver on its record civil aerospace order book.

The investment, which will be made over the next few years, is part of Rolls-Royce’s on-going industrial transformation and will provide additional capacity, as the company develops and tests the next generation of aero engines.

Most of the investment will provide a new facility for testing large civil aero engines in Derby, which is the home of Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division.

The new test-bed will be capable of testing a range of engines including the Trent XWB, which powers the Airbus A350 XWB and is the world’s fastest-selling civil large engine (with over 1,600 on order from 45 customers in 31 countries).

There will also be investment in the company’s large-engine Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility in Derby, as well as in manufacturing facilities in Derby and Hucknall (Nottinghamshire).

Rolls-Royce has also committed to retaining the Precision Machining Facility (PMF) in Derby, which had previously been destined to close.

Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce president (Civil Aerospace), said: “This investment comes at a time of unprecedented growth in Rolls-Royce. We are doubling the production of new engines at the same time as introducing three new engines to the market.

“With this investment, we are creating the capacity and flexibility to deliver on our goals, while committing to sustain employment in the UK. I would like to thank the unions for their support in delivering this important package of investment.”

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “This announcement underpins the critical role that the UK plays in the global aerospace sector. The UK and Rolls-Royce are known throughout the world as pioneers of advanced engineering technology. I welcome the confidence the company is showing in the UK.

“This is just the type of investment our modern Industrial Strategy is looking to attract.”

Rolls-Royce currently employs around 22,300 people in the UK — across a range of skilled jobs — including more than 600 apprentices.