Morocco’s Safran Electrical & Power, commemorating 20 years of operation in the North African country, inaugurated a new 5,700-square-meter extension.
The new facility serves as an extension to its industrial site in the coastal city of Temara, located just south of Rabat in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region.
As presently constituted, the facility’s workforce is upwards of 1,600 employees, while operational activity at the location is projected to approach two million production hours by 2026.
Safran’s expansion is against the backdrop of Morocco’s new designation as Africa’s top manufacturing country, a title it took from South Africa at the start of the year.
“This anniversary and this new extension demonstrate the confidence Safran has placed in Morocco and its talent for the past twenty years,” said Serge Pons, executive vice president and general manager of Interconnection Systems Eurasia at Safran.
“Thanks to the commitment of our teams, the Témara site has become an essential part of our industrial network. This new milestone will enable us to support the growth of our activities and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow’s aerospace industry,” Serge Pons added.
The latest expansion adds 5,700 square meters to Safran’s facility in Temara, bringing its total area to 31,400 square meters.
Safran’s presence in Temara dates back to 2005, when the group integrated Gespec into its operations, as seen on MoroccoWorldNews.
The new space was designed to aid the company in handling more civil and military aerospace projects while increasing its production of electrical cables and equipment used by major aircraft manufacturers.
The multinational aerospace company disclosed that the plant currently produces close to 93,000 electrical harnesses each year.
The project was touted as Africa’s largest aircraft-engine assembly hub; a site intended to become the world’s second-largest LEAP-1A production hub, after Safran’s flagship Villaroche plant in France.
It was also set to be constructed within the Midparc industrial zone in Nouaceur.
Included in the €350 million investment were a final assembly plant for LEAP-1A engines, the same model powering Airbus A320neo aircraft, and a facility for engine maintenance and repair.
The project was projected to create nearly 900 direct jobs by 2030, with the assembly plant handling up to 350 engines annually and the maintenance facility servicing 150 engines per year.
Airbus expansion in Morocco
Very recently, it was reported that Airbus plans to establish a third factory in Morocco and launch a helicopter-maintenance operation that could serve West Africa.
The proposed factory would cover approximately 6,900 square metres and form part of an industrial expansion described as increasing the group’s Moroccan footprint by 30%.
Airbus already operates two factories in the country, employs more than 1,300 people and works with approximately 100 local suppliers, according to its Morocco representative, Mickaël Bertrand.
Airbus’ existing Moroccan operations produce cockpit components, fuselage structures, floor panels, wing elements and cabin fittings.
Its Airbus Atlantic Maroc Composites business also manufactures components for A320 cockpits, ATR baggage compartments and business- and first-class seating.
These activities connect Moroccan factories to international aircraft production rather than limiting their customers to the domestic aviation market.
Source: africa.businessinsider.com
