Boeing said it will source carbon fiber pre-impregnated (prepreg) composite material for the Boeing 777X from a new joint venture in the U.A.E. formed by Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Development Company and Solvay.
Boeing is the first customer for the Mubadala-Solvay joint venture, which will make composite material for the 777X empennage and floor beams. The joint venture is estimated to be operational by 2021 in a new facility in Al Ain.
“After close collaboration with Mubadala and Solvay to expand the supply of aerospace composites, Boeing is pleased to be the first customer for their new joint venture in the UAE.,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner said. “Our commitment to purchase this prepreg material for the 777X meets several important goals for Boeing, from further advancing aerospace industry development in the U.A.E. to expanding high-quality materials in our supply chain.”
First introduced in the 1970s, prepreg composites – high-strength carbon fiber combined with epoxy resin- reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency in aircraft. The 777 was the first commercial plane to contain structurally significant composites. Composites account for half the structural weight of the 787 Dreamliner, and the 777X will have the world’s largest composite wing. Production of the 777X begins in 2017, with completion expected in 2020.
“Boeing has been a key global partner of ours for years,” Homaid Al Shimmari, CEO of Aerospace & Engineering Services at Mubadala, said. “Together with Solvay, we will further develop our capabilities in advanced composite materials production in order to expand the supply chain and create a materials ecosystem. The creation of a new manufacturing facility at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park supports our efforts of delivering on Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030 by developing a regional Aerospace Hub for Abu Dhabi.”
