HRC and ALSC signed strategic cooperation agreement，leading the green circular economy practice in the aviation industry
On August 29, 2024, the Airbus Life Cycle Services Center (ALSC), a subsidiary of the aviation giant Airbus, and HRC, a global leading composite solution provider, signed a strategic cooperation agreement, officially launching the first aircraft dismantling and recycling project in China. The two sides will focus on the dismantling and recycling of retired aircraft fuselages, the recycling of composite materials and other links, and carry out in-depth cooperation in the technical and product fields for various aircraft models, jointly promoting the green and sustainable development of the aviation industry.
Mr. Brian Agnew, the general manager of Airbus (Chengdu) Aircraft Life Cycle Services Co., Ltd., and Mr. Zhiyong Wang, the general manager of HRC Carbon Neutrality, signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of both sides. Mr. Gang Xu, the global executive vice president and the CEO of Airbus China, Mr. Chen Zhao, the vice president of Airbus China and the director of Airbus (Chengdu) Aircraft Life Cycle Services Co., Ltd., Mr. Yongtao Gu, the founder and chairman of HRC, Mr. Zheng Gao, the deputy general manager of HRC Aviation and other guests attended and witnessed this important moment.
ALSC is the only aircraft recycling project operated by an aircraft manufacturer in the world, and its joint venture company in Chengdu is also the first aircraft life cycle service project outside Europe of the Airbus Group. The service center is guided by the concept of sustainable development and is committed to providing one-stop solutions for the life cycle management of aircraft of all ages. As the first high-tech enterprise in China to open up all links of the closed loop of composite material development, mass production of parts and recycling and reuse, HRC can provide integrated services throughout the life cycle of carbon fiber. The strategic cooperation between the two sides will start with the dismantling, recycling and utilization of the first aircraft.
The owner of this A330-200 aircraft is Hengqin Winglet Aircraft Technology Co., Ltd. The dismantling of the aircraft will be jointly completed by the Airbus Life Cycle Services Center, the Airbus China Research and Innovation Center (ACRI) and HRC. The aircraft material parts will be dismantled first and the remaining fuselage parts will be disassembled and recycled. The dismantled parts will be returned to the aviation industry for reuse according to relevant regulations, thus reducing the operating costs of aircraft. HRC will be responsible for recycling the carbon fiber composite materials of the aircraft. Through green patented technology, the resources will be reused to the greatest extent to form recycled carbon fiber composite materials and derivative products with low emissions, high physical properties and added value. It is worth mentioning that the two sides will also jointly explore more possibilities of material recycling and reuse on this basis, and increase the commercial value and environmental protection attributes of the business chain with targeted solutions.
Mr. Brian Agnew, the general manager of ALSC., said, "Aircraft dismantling and recycling, as one of the core businesses of the center, is not only a new exploration of Airbus's sustainable development strategy, but also a measure to comply with the national call for green development and circular economy. The center will use the world's leading dismantling technology process and upstream and downstream linkage, relying on the global supply chain network of Airbus, to achieve green and environmentally friendly dismantling, recycle high-quality materials with a recycling rate far exceeding the industry level, and continue to provide customers with high-quality services."
The achievement of this strategic cooperation this time is also a positive attempt for the upstream and downstream of the aviation industry chain to jointly explore sustainable development. Starting from this, it will provide more references and demonstrations for the green development path of the aviation industry at home and abroad.
