With the end of the project, we successfully established an industrial fiber pilot production in Europe that will meet the requirements of industrial customers very short-term, and our aviation customers’ requirements by the end of 2022! With this, our customers can start the approval process for their aero-turbines made with BJS SiC fibers to meet the highly challenging and very much needed regulatory CO2-emission reduction targets in aviation. Aviation is one of the key economic sectors within Europe, so SPE contributes to the long-term survival and success of the European aviation industry.
This pilot production will serve as blue-print for our planned commercial SiC Fiber Production Plant that we plan to establish in the mid-2020ies based on the demand scenarios of our customers in aviation, and industrial applications. The innovative, patented BJS high-tech SiC fiber technology requires less production steps, delivers higher yields at less energy input than our oversea’s competitors’ processes. The lower cost will allow entering more fields of application and thus increasing the positive environmental impact to other industries and applications - generating a competitive manufacturing opportunity for many applications!
This will create significant additional high-skilled employment throughout the 5-step value chain:
1. Chemical industry for raw materials (EU-based)
2. BJS Commercial SiC fiber production plant (EU-based)
3. Textile processing, e.g. weaving (EU-based and oversea's)
4. CMC-component production build up for aero-engines, and other industrial applications (EU-based and oversea's)
5. Turbine Manufacturing/Maintenance as well as the development of other industrial applications – e.g. hydrogen turbines, energy production and storage, space and friction applications (EU-based and oversea's).
Last, not least, our SiC-fiber ensures the EU’s independence from oversea’s authorities for a critical dual use good and technology that has unique high-temperature-, thermoshock-resistant, light-weight properties while keeping its high mechanical strength – attractive for many challenging operating conditions.
In summary, SPE enables the aviation industry to meet CO2-reduction regulations, it will enable the build-up of new innovative industries further supporting significant CO2-reductions and long-term, a carbon-neutral economy. Thereto, we identified several promising application areas which will only be tapped on once product is more abundantly available and lower in cost. Future development programmes will focus on this! SPE laid the foundation for significant high-skilled employment generation in up- and downstream industries as well as prosperity for employees and the EU. Moreover, it will strengthen the EU’s position internationally and create independence in a critical dual-use good market & multi-step value chain.
