Pratt & Whitney to Provide EcoPower Engine Wash System to United

United Airlines has signed a multi-year agreement with aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney for its environmentally-friendly EcoPower engine wash system.

The airline projects a three million gallon saving in jet fuel annually, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 28,000 metric tons. United expects the washes to reduce fuel burn and improve exhaust gas temperature margin, which will enhance engine performance.

United will implement the engine washes on all aircraft in its fleet by fall 2008 and will begin offering the service to third-party customers. EcoPower uses a closed-loop system with atomized water to wash aircraft engines, thus avoiding potential contaminant runoff.

The system, which is offered by Ptarr & Whitney’s Global Service Partners unit, is expected to be more effective and much faster than traditional engine washing processes and extends time on-wing for operators of Pratt & Whitney, International Aero, General Electric, Rolls-Royce and CFMI engines.

Rick Wysong, vice president of engineering, materials and planning at United Airlines, said: “In addition to saving fuel and improving engine performance, this system has the added benefit of being a faster, safer and more environmentally-friendly way to clean our engines, enabling us to reduce our overall CO2 emissions.”