Where is the Mobile Power Solutions BU going to be in five years' time?
In Service, we're going to be even stronger five years from now. We're already providing great service right now, but we'll certainly have more opportunities if we think of service more as a business. That would be a win-win for the customer and for the company.
Apart from that, we want to win flagship sustainability projects in all applications this year. Initially, the main focus is on hybridization, i.e. combining diesel engines with batteries, as in the mtu Hybrid PowerPack, which has been in service on a UK rail line since February. The first hybridization projects are also underway in the Marine sector. If we win orders here, then five years down the line we'll have the relevant field experience and will certainly have sold the initial large quantities of new-tech systems. In Mining or in Agriculture, we may then have extra solutions for full electrification.
There's a lot of discussion about methanol engines at the moment, and hydrogen is also on the table in all its possible forms. We have the know-how to define the most intelligent combinations of applications and new technologies. My goal is that we integrate the most suitable solution into the different applications, even in the governmental business.
We're also discussing truly exciting scenarios in which we can offer systems to our customers with the involvement of all our business units. This can be a great opportunity.
One thing I would like to emphasize: Our outstanding expertise in combustion engine construction has made us successful. We will need this for many years to come in some applications and in intelligent combination with new solutions. There is also still a great deal of potential in combustion engines, especially in their use with sustainable fuels, and in some applications, they simply cannot be replaced.
How great is the desire among customers to focus on sustainability, i.e. on combustion engines with e-fuels, hybrid solutions, or even entirely new products?
Customers are at very different stages with their strategies and product developments. This was very obvious at a recent conference involving our worldwide sales partners in Amsterdam. Some partners have already embedded sustainability at the heart of what they do, while others have shown only limited interest to date – mainly because their local markets don't demand it. But here too, we have the opportunity to develop these markets in conjunction with our partners and lead the way forward. Ultimately, there's no escaping the issue for anyone, so it's just a matter of time. We have some customers who are pioneers and are already using new technologies in specific projects. The move toward e-fuels is still relatively easy here. It gets exciting when we start talking about hybrid solutions, hydrogen burners, etc.
Most customers are currently trying to figure out what the right technologies are going to be for them in the future, which means they're still buying current technology while working that out.
And that's exactly where we come in right now. Rolls-Royce Power Systems started examining a lot of new solutions many years ago. We've now accumulated a vast amount of expertise and know the possibilities and limits, opportunities and risks of the new technologies. We're able to deliver the very consulting expertise our customers need right now, and we can also benefit from these in-depth discussions as we get an even better understanding of their requirements.
Where does Rolls-Royce Power Systems currently stand in terms of sustainability?
I think we put more thought into this than our competitors and many other companies. Even if it is sometimes an exhausting journey: We're setting the pace here and are not afraid to make bold decisions and move forward.
In specific terms, this means that at Rolls-Royce Power Systems we didn't just nod in the general direction of net zero, and I'm genuinely impressed by the seriousness with which our people are working on ways to reduce our own carbon emissions and those of our products – from production to product management, and from R&D to finance. That really is “walking the talk”.
Why is sustainability also important to you personally?
We have an obligation. Period. We all have an obligation to preserve our environment. At Rolls-Royce Power Systems, we have the capabilities, and therefore the mission, to do more than others. For me personally, that means my position comes with a certain responsibility and in particular the obligation to make the greatest possible contribution in the areas of mobility and energy supplies.
And by the way, my 14-year-old daughter regularly challenges me about cutting waste, avoiding garbage and reducing carbon emissions. She doesn't beat around the bush when she demands that we adults have an obligation to do our best here – just as she and her friends adopt sustainable behaviors in their everyday lives consistently and naturally.
