U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke Unveils LEED Platinum Certification Plaque for the Pratt & Whitney CFM56® Engine Overhaul Center in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke unveiled the LEED Platinum certification plaque for the Shanghai Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engine Maintenance Co., Ltd (Shanghai Engine Center) today. The Shanghai Engine Center, a joint venture between China Eastern Airlines and Pratt & Whitney, has become the first facility in China and the 21st outside the United States to be awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

"The companies on this trade mission are at the vanguard of a movement to meet the world's energy needs with cleaner and more efficient solutions," Commerce Secretary Locke said "The Shanghai Engine Center demonstrates the leadership of U.S. companies in sustainable business and their potential to work with Chinese counterparts to help develop green and energy efficient industrial operations in China."

Sandy Diehl, vice president for United Technologies Corp. (UTC), welcomed Secretary Locke and his delegation. "We are honored to have Secretary Locke's presence at our facility recognizing us as the first LEED® Platinum facility in China – the first also for Pratt & Whitney and United Technologies Corp.," he said during the plaque unveiling ceremony.  "Pratt & Whitney offers a complete range of products and services that are environmentally friendly from commercial engines, such as the PurePower® PW1000G, engine to EcoPower® engine wash service and now our LEED® Platinum facility that houses CFM56® engine repairs."

Located in the Qingpu district, the Shanghai Engine Center officially opened in September 2009 as an environmentally friendly and highly efficient CFM56® engine maintenance, repair and overhaul facility. 

Worldwide there are fewer than 4,000 LEED certified buildings - with only about 5 percent earning Platinum certification.  The LEED rating system was designed as a framework to identify and implement sustainable practices that bring energy and resource savings.

With a facility size of 25,555 sq. meters (275,072 sq. feet) and the potential to employ 800 people, the Shanghai Engine Center earned 57 credits, five points above the required LEED Platinum threshold.  Notable accomplishments include:

• All five water and all five innovation-in-design credits for the reduced usage of potable water and a large pond built on site for capturing and storing rain water to meet all sanitary needs.
• All 10 energy efficiency credits for installing high performance conditioning and lighting systems, and extensive daylighting and control through integrated building automation.
• Eight material credits for incorporating rapidly renewable resources, extensive recycling of construction waste, locally sourced materials, and use of certified stewarded wood products.

The facility also incorporates high-performance building solutions from other UTC business units. Carrier supplied high efficiency products including Evergreen® 19XRV variable speed centrifugal chillers, AquaForce® 30XQ air-cooled heat pumps, air handling units with energy recovery, and Automated Logic® building system controls.  In addition the facility commissioned Hamilton Sundstrand with a Sullair LS20 compressed air system, and UTC Fire & Security provided security and access controls.  Hamilton Sundstrand and UTC Fire & Security are also UTC companies.

The Shanghai Engine Center is part of Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners (GSP).  Pratt & Whitney through its GSP network is a total service provider for Pratt & Whitney, International Aero Engines, General Electric, Rolls-Royce and CFMI engines.  In addition to engine overhaul and repair services, GSP provides customers improved engine performance and increased asset value through a broad portfolio of services including line maintenance, engine monitoring and diagnostics, environmentally friendly on-wing water washes, leased engines, custom engine service programs and new and repaired parts.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney