The 27th of September 2017 will go down in the history of XEOS as a
symbolic day of launching the investment and laying the foundation
stone for XEOS aircraft engine service and overhaul centre in Sroda
Slaska.
On that day, XEOS guests of honour include: Carsten Spohr - Chief
Executive Officer at Lufthansa AG, Dr. Johannes Bussmann - CEO at
Lufthansa Technik AG, David Joyce - Vice Chair of GE and the
President and Chief Executive Officer for GE Aviation, Jean
Lydon-Rodgers - President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Aviation
Services, as well as Tadeusz Koscinski - Undersecretary of State in
the Ministry of Development and Rolf Nikel - Ambassador of Germany in
Poland.
The symbolic time capsule contains among others the original plate to
the etching representing an aircraft engine against the backdrop of
XEOS centre, authored by a Wroclavian artist Marta Lech, a letter
from XEOS team to future generations of employees and business
partners of the centre, an outline of a GEnx-2B engine (to be
serviced in the plant in the future) cut in glass, as well as a model
of Boeing 747-8, where such engines are installed.
XEOS, a joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and GE Aviation is an
investment valued at one billion Polish zlotys. This state-of-the-art
aircraft engine service centre, one of the most advanced in the
world, will employ 600 experienced top-class aviation industry
specialist and invest 60.00 million PLN in staff training.
The plant is planned to be opened in the spring 2019.
Thomas Böttger, XEOS Managing Director of Business: Today's
celebration marks a symbolic launch of our project. At the Paris
Airshow in June 2015, two global aviation industry leaders -
Lufthansa Technik and GE Aviation - decided to create a world-leading
aircraft engine service and overhaul center for GEnx-2B and GE9X
engines. Today we fulfill this dream and we take pride in this
challenge. XEOS means modern technologies, world-class solutions as
well as highest standards of quality and safety. We create the
history of the aerospace industry and knowledge-based modern economy,
whose main pillar is aviation. We write this story together
with our team, which will ultimately include 600 high-end
professionals equipped with truly unique skills.
Stefan Schmuck, XEOS Managing Director of Operations: With great joy,
accompanied by our friends, business partners, Polish authorities,
neighbours and media, today we are starting a long, at least 40-year
long journey. Since December 2016, Poland and Lower Silesia, and
especially Sroda Slaska, have been our home. Here, we want to build
strong relationships with the local community, whilst the foundation
stone laid today is not only the foundation of our center, but also
the foundation of these relationships. Into the time capsule we have
put a letter for future generations, which contains a manifesto of
our values and plans. We trust that people who will read this letter
in 40 or maybe more years will be proud to say that our message is
still up to date and that our goals have been met.
Tadeusz Koscinski, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of
Development: The XEOS investment in Sroda Slaska is an outcome of the
government's consistent efforts to reduce economic disparities
between regions. Choosing Poland to situate the latest aircraft
engine service and overhaul centre is no coincidence. The
well-developed infrastructure has definitely been very important, but
even more are the skilled people and a stable economic situation. We
are gradually becoming a European leader in acquiring greenfield
investments in the area of state-of-the-art technologies.
Intensive works at the construction site
Work on the construction site began in early August 2017. The area
has already been levelled whilst over 35,000 m3 of earth have been
moved around the construction site. A large part of the foundations
have been poured, too. In mid-October the first construction cranes
are to join excavators on site to start constructing the skeleton of
the building. Over 200 concrete columns constituting the skeleton of
the plant, weighting up to 35 tons each will be erected. In total,
approx 1,700 tonnes of steel and a total of 20,000 m3 of concrete
will be consumed during construction works.
The construction site for XEOS centre has the area of about 14 ha,
that is approximately 20 football fields. In addition, the pipework
and rainwater retention tank have the capacity of an Olympic-size
swimming pool
The rough framing work for the Main Building will be completed by
March 2018. As soon as in Summer 2018 the first pieces of repair
equipment will be brought in. According to the plan, the buildings
will be handed over to the investor in December 2018, so that in
spring 2019 the Centre could receive its first engines. The timely
completion of the works is possible thanks to the involvement of
several dozen subcontractors - Polish companies collaborating with
the general contractor and up to 500 workers who had new jobs created
owing to the project. Construction works are conducted in a two-shift
system, from Monday to Saturday.
For the last 56 days since the construction work has been launched
there has been no incident whatsoever occuring on the site. This is
owing to top quality standards which are an inherent value for the
joint venture companies - Lufthansa Technik and GE Aviation, the
General Contractor, Budimex Company, and for PM Group company acting
as the General Designer for the centre.
Latest-generation aircraft engines will be serviced in the XEOS
Centre
The plant is intended primarily to service GEnx-2B engines, and in
subsequent years also GE9X. Currently, 18 air operators worldwide
have nearly 500 GEnx-2B engines in commercial use. The engines have
totalled 5 million flight hours and obtained excellent operational
results. Their technological sophistication has resulted in a lower
fuel consumption and CO2 emissions down by 15% compared to the GECF6
model.
GE9X engines, to be serviced in the plant from 2021, are the most
advanced aircraft engines in their class. Although the formal
certification process for these engines has yet to close in 2018,
over 700 units have already been ordered by operators worldwide. GE9X
engines continue to develop aircraft technology to higher efficiency
in tandem with lower fuel consumption, meaning lower gas emission.
86 people already employed in XEOS, ultimately 600 new jobs
The opportunity to work with the foremost technologies in the
aviation industry, together with extensive training and the
international working environment created by two global brands -
Lufthansa Technik and General Electric Aviation - has already and
will be attractive to top-class specialists, engineers and students
of technical faculties all over Poland. As for today, the Centre
already employs 86 people, whilst this number is to increase to 100
by the end of this year. In spring 2019 when the plant is to be fully
operational, there will be about 140 people working there.
Ultimately, XEOS aims to create 600 new work places.
XEOS is investing 60.00 million PLN in staff training, and these
funds will have been allocated to operate the Specialised Training
Centre in Wroclaw and multi-month trainings for employees.