Adrien Dolimont, Minister-President of the Government of Wallonia and Olivier Andriès, Chief Executive Officer of Safran, today inaugurated BeCOVER, a new compressor test center located in Herstal, in the Province of Liège (Belgium).

This 3,000m2 facility is designed to test all types of compressors for the next generations of civil and military aircraft engines. It represents a valuable research tool that will be capable of validating breakthrough innovations in order to meet the major environmental challenges of the aviation sector.

BeCOVER provides a range aerodynamics-testing services that are unrivalled in Europe, thanks to its outstanding technical capabilities, including a closed air loop, which will enable turbomachinery to be tested in altitude conditions. It was designed and produced by Safran Test Cells, the "test-cell" unit of Safran Aero Boosters, which is a world leader in this field. The site has been equipped with the most advanced technologies for optimizing resources (energy, water), and the building's semi-buried architectural design helps to reduce noise pollution and blends harmoniously into the landscape.

As of next December, it will house a full-scale prototype of a low-pressure rapid compressor built by Safran Aero Boosters for the future Open Fan engine of the CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) technology-demonstration program (the RISE program is being developed by CFM International, a 50/50 joint-venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace). This ground-breaking architecture, which is the cornerstone of the CFM RISE technology-demonstration program, is currently the most promising in terms of reducing the environmental footprint of aircraft engines. The Open Fan engine would cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20% – even up to 80% in terms of emissions, if sustainable fuels are used – on the next generation of single-aisle aircraft by 2035.

The prototype compressor was developed in just over two years, with the support of the Partenariat d'Innovation Technologique Wallon (P.I.T. - "Wings", for "Walloon Innovations for green Skies"), which aims to support the innovation capacity of the entire Walloon value chain and to attract talent.

A high-speed compressor makes it possible to reduce the size of the low-pressure spool, thus reducing the engine weight and the raw materials used in manufacturing. The BeCOVER test cell will be used to check the aerodynamic efficiency of the innovative technologies required for a high-speed compressor. The prototype, fitted with 1,200 sensors, will undergo a six-month test campaign.

Designed to serve the entire industrial world, the BeCOVER test center is available as an independent service to other players in the aerospace market, as well as companies in other sectors such as energy. The center will also be made available to the academic and scientific world for experimental research into the aerodynamics of turbomachinery. It will act as a genuine laboratory for Belgian universities and research centers, and contribute to developing a network of shared skills.

"BeCOVER will enable us to test the innovative low-pressure compressor intended for the RISE program, which is a major component of our roadmap for the decarbonization of air transport. It reflects our determination to move forward quickly and in a tangible manner towards carbon neutrality in aviation." - Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran

"This new infrastructure is a crucial tool for reinforcing and developing Belgian expertise in the field of compressor aerodynamics. The partnership with Safran provides industrial skills that are useful to several sectors. In addition, it further consolidates a company that is based in the heart of Wallonia, and which supports an ecosystem of cutting-edge subcontractors." - Adrien Dolimont, Minister-President of the Government of Wallonia

"Being involved in BeCOVER is another example of SFPIM's investment strategy, which aims to support sustainable projects with a long-term industrial vision, while maintaining technological activities and expertise in Belgium. Through BeCOVER, Belgium is proud to be supporting green innovation projects and the development of tomorrow's aircraft engines: lighter, cleaner and more environmentally friendly." - Vincent Van Peteghem, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister

"BeCOVER is a powerful tool which aims to support aerospace manufacturers by rapidly validating new compressor technologies under near-real-life conditions in order to meet the challenges of the civil and military aviation sectors. Thanks to its partnership with the Von Karman Institute, Cenaero and the University of Liège, it will be able to provide its clients with unprecedented expertise in the field of turbojet engines." - Olivier Servais, CEO of BeCOVER