Each day The Manufacturer compiles the top manufacturing news stories from around the web. To make your life a little easier, we trawl through all the major trade publications, broadsheets and business magazines to find you the most important manufacturing news each morning. Don't forget to bookmark this page and check back daily.
Rolls-Royce nuclear reactors to power Australian submarines
Earlier this week, as part of the AUKUS trilateral agreement between Australia, the UK and the US, it was announced that Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd will provide reactors for Australia’s nuclear powered submarines.
The announcement will see thousands of jobs created for Rolls-Royce and across the UK supply chain. Rolls-Royce Submarines, based in Derby, UK currently employs more than 4,000 people and designs, manufactures and provides in-service support to the pressurised water reactors that power every boat in the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet. Read more via The Manufacturer
Vertical announces the opening of the Vertical Energy Centre, the UK’s most advanced aerospace battery facility
Vertical Aerospace (Vertical), a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering zero-emissions aviation, today announces another significant UK investment and innovation milestone with the opening of the Vertical Energy Centre (VEC), believed to be the UK’s most advanced aerospace battery facility, based in Bristol. Read more via Vertical
Johnson Matthey chosen for H2H Saltend low-carbon hydrogen project
Johnson Matthey (JM) has signed a LCH technology licence with Equinor and Linde Engineering for H2H Saltend, one of the UK’s largest low carbon hydrogen (ccs-enabled) projects. JM was selected alongside our EPC partner Linde Engineering for the major FEED contract by Equinor. The licence counts towards JM’s milestone of winning more than ten additional large-scale projects by 2023/24.
H2H Saltend is a 600-megawatt low carbon hydrogen production plant with over a 95% carbon capture rate, one of the first of its kind and scale in the UK, helping to establish the Humber as an international hub for low carbon hydrogen. This is the first phase of Equinor’s ‘Hydrogen to Humber’ ambition to deliver 1.8 gigawatts of low carbon hydrogen production in the region, nearly 20% of the UK’s national production target by 2030. Read more via Johnson Matthey
Jobs boost for Glasgow as Allied Vehicles increases production
A Scottish firm that is Europe’s leading manufacturer and supplier of specialist adaptive transport is ramping up production to more than 7,500 vehicles per year and taking on more staff as it prepares to make inroads into the European market.
Allied Vehicles is looking for more than 70 people to join its team in Glasgow, mostly in its pre-production and production areas after two years of a post-Covid famine, exacerbated by global vehicle supply problems and the war in Ukraine. Read more via The Manufacturer
SpaceX’s Starship has 50% chance of success on 1st orbital flight, Elon Musk says
The first-ever orbital mission of SpaceX’s huge new Starship vehicle will basically be a coin flip, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk.
Starship has a roughly 50% chance of succeeding on its debut orbital test flight, which SpaceX aims to launch from its South Texas site in the next month or so, Musk said last week. Read more via space.com
AMRC helps caravan manufacturer embrace digital direction
A luxury touring caravan manufacturer from St Asaph is rolling forwards thanks to the benefits of a digital transformation project.
The Fifth Wheel Company is one of a number of Denbighshire businesses to benefit from research and development collaborations designed to boost digital support. Read more via The Manufacturer
China’s post-Covid year gets off to a disappointing start
China on Wednesday reported retail sales growth for the first two months of the year that only matched expectations, while real estate investment fell further.
Industrial production for the January-February period rose by 2.4%, less than the 2.6% expected by a Reuters poll.
The data reflect “steady rather than accelerating momentum, which also indicates strong policy support is needed to unleash the growth potential,” said Zhou Hao at Guotai Junan. Read more via CNBC
