Safran opened a new electrical engineering center of excellence in Créteil, France, that will coalesce its aircraft electrical and power design and engineering expertise that was spread across several facilities. Spanning 6,400-sq-m (69,000-sq-ft), the center will house functions concentrated on electric and hybrid propulsion, power electronics, electrical distribution, and electrical conversion.

The facility will house research and technology activities, development and production engineering, program and customer support, and an electrical systems test bench. With 430 employees based at the site, Safran said the facility is designed to foster collaboration between the different teams and at the “heart of the design” of its electrical systems.

Safran’s ePower product line is designed at the Créteil site as the company seeks to offer a line of products for future electric and hybrid aircraft. The products cover the entire electrical system, including GeneusPack batteries, EngineUS electric motors, GeneusGrid primary and secondary distribution systems, and GeneusGrid propulsion power management systems.

“We are proud to unveil this new center of expertise where we develop the electric propulsion systems that will soon equip small planes for tourism and for pilot training before being extended to regional commercial aircraft and ultimately to hybridize the new generation of thermal engines,” said Safran Electrical and Power CEO Stéphane Cueille. “Our teams are highly motivated by the idea of decarbonizing aviation through breakthrough electric technologies.”