Pilkington invests in sustainable glassmaking in St Helens
Pilkington UK, part of the NSG Group, is making a multi-million-pound investment in its Merseyside facilities as part of a government-backed project that will save 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year while securing the future of rolled glass manufacturing in the UK. Under the project, the company will move its Watson Street manufacturing operations to its Greengate site in St Helens.
The work will begin in August 2023, with the line due to be up and running by August 2024. Watson Street will remain open until then, with no impact expected on the availability of glass while the work takes place. The project will benefit from a £3.7 million grant via the government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, which helps cover the costs of industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects in the UK.
Neil Syder, managing director of Pilkington UK, said: “This project represents one of the single biggest investments we’ve made in our UK manufacturing facilities in decades, and will ultimately secure the future of rolled glass manufacturing in the UK."
“Working out of one furnace will enable us to make a permanent and significant saving in CO2 emissions. It’s a radical shift in the way we operate, but we know that if we are to achieve our net-zero ambitions, we need to make change across all areas of our business."
“Yet this move marks a new chapter in our story that allows us to embrace more sustainable ways of making glass and continue to drive forward our vision for change, in partnership with the industry.”
