Bladon Jets News headline
Tata Ltd to Acquire Minority Stake in Bladon Jets
· Micro gas turbine company targeting global automotive and distributed power generation markets
· Partnered Jaguar in developing C-X75 Concept electric supercar unveiled in Paris this week
London, 29th September 2010 – Tata Ltd, the wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Ltd in UK, has agreed to become a minority shareholder in the British micro gas turbine engine company, Bladon Jets.
Based in Ellesmere, Shropshire, Bladon Jets is a world leader in the development of micro gas turbine engines. Its patented breakthrough technology enables the production of highly efficient, small gas turbine engines that are ideally suited for use in hybrid electric vehicles, providing a lightweight and multi-fuel alternative to the engines used in the majority of cars today.
The skilled engineers at Bladon Jets have worked closely with Jaguar in developing the C-X75 concept car that is being unveiled at the Paris Motor Show this year. At the heart of the C-X75 two-seater supercar are two mid-mounted micro gas turbines that can either charge the car’s batteries, allowing it to travel 560 miles (900km – enough to drive from London to Berlin on a single tank) between fill-ups, or automatically provide supplementary power directly to the electric motors allowing the car to reach a top speed of 205 mph (330km/h).
Anwar Hasan, Managing Director of Tata Ltd, said “The innovative nature of Bladon Jets lies at the very heart of our ethos at Tata and it is a company we have admired for some time. Acquiring a stake in this business is recognition of this and the exciting potential their products have in the automotive and distributed power generation arenas. We look forward to continuing the already-close working relationship with Bladon Jets and will take great pride in the future success of their business.”
Paul Barrett, Chairman of Bladon Jets, said “This is a very exciting milestone for our company. Tata is one of the world’s most respected companies and we’re delighted by the vote of confidence they’ve shown in the expertise of our staff and future of our business. Their investment and continued support will enable us to proceed with plans to take the business to the next level and we are delighted to welcome them onboard as a shareholder and close partner.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
George Farquhar
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7269 7213
Email: george.farquhar@fd.com
or
Paul Barrett
+44 (0)1624 647068
Notes for Editors
Bladon Jets
Bladon Jets is a world leader in the development of micro gas turbine engines. Its patented, breakthrough axial flow technology enables the production of highly efficient, small gas turbine engines that are ideally suited for use in hybrid electric vehicles – providing a lightweight, multi-fuel alternative to the 100 year old reciprocating engines used in the majority of cars today.
Tata – in the UK and internationally
Tata is comprised of companies with operations in seven business sectors – Engineering, Materials, Energy, Chemicals, Consumer Products, Services, Communications and Information Systems. Every Tata company or enterprise operates independently. Each of the companies has its own board of directors and shareholders, to whom it is answerable. Total revenue of Tata companies, taken together, was more than US$70billion in 2008-2009, and they employ more than a quarter of a million people across 80 countries and six continents.
Tata has more than a century of experience in the UK, its leading international market. Tata is one of the largest investors and employers in the UK, comprising 19 companies and a 47,000-strong workforce spread right across the region. The Tata group of companies includes some well-known brands in the UK, among them: Corus/Tata Steel, Tata Motors/Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tetley Tea, Quilon and The Bombay Brasserie. In addition, Tata Communications, Brunner Mond/Tata Chemicals and Taj Hotels are all significant players in their respective fields.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010