SPIE contributes to the "Low-Carbon" project at the Safran Aircraft Engines site in Le Creusot

Saint-Ouen, 19 November 2024 – SPIE Building Solutions, a French subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, took part in the “Low-Carbon” project at Safran Aircraft Engines’ Le Creusot site (Saône-et-Loire department). Safran Aircraft Engines is a subsidiary of the Safran Group and a world-leading aircraft engine manufacturer. This ambitious project aims to reduce the industrial site’s CO₂ emissions by 50% between 2018 and 2030.  

Expertise for the energy transition

As part of its Low-Carbon project, which it has been conducting since 2018, Safran wants to reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions at its 15,500 square-metre Le Creusot site, where it manufactures turbine discs for LEAP engines on new medium-haul aircraft from Airbus, Boeing and Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC.

SPIE Building Solutions, a subsidiary of SPIE Francespecialising in expertise dedicated to building intelligence and performance, was asked to remove the gas combustion chambers used to heat the workshops and replace them with hot water batteries, a more environmentally friendly solution. To that end, the SPIE Building Solutions teams installed three heat pumps made by French manufacturer Energie Transfert Thermique (ETT) to produce the water for the heating system. The site’s hydraulic energy consumption is expected to fall from 2,300 MWh of gas to 900 MWh of electricity by 2025.

An innovative heating and energy monitoring solution

In addition to this support in decarbonisation, SPIE Building Solutions has also deployed an innovative solution for monitoring electricity consumption in real time, with information sent to the customer over a 5G connection. This technology will allow Safran to closely monitor the energy savings and cost reductions made possible by the operation.

“We are proud of our participation in this decarbonisation programme, which mobilises our expertise in building energy performance and demonstrates our commitment to the energy transition in the industrial sector”, says Martial Marlin, Business Manager at SPIE Building Solutions. “For this project, we brought together the skills of local teams to give us access to strong technical expertise and excellent services”.

“The solutions proposed by SPIE Building Solutions ensure an efficient transition for us to electricity. Reducing the carbon footprint of the Le Creusot site is an integral part of Safran’s Low-Carbon strategy, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of its industrial activities by 30% by 2025”, adds Laurent Skladzien, Project Manager at Safran Aircraft Engines’ Le Creusot site.