News from the 27th June- 1st July 2022

Renishaw announces investment of over £50 million for UK manufacturing site

Global engineering company, Renishaw, is to invest over £50 million at its Miskin site in South Wales to increase manufacturing capacity and to help meet its Net Zero emissions targets. This will see 400,000 sq ft (37,000 sq metres) of additional low carbon buildings created at the 193-acre site to the west of Cardiff, consisting of two new production halls and an employee welfare facility. The existing production halls will also be refurbished to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Planning permission for the detailed plans to almost double the footprint of the site, which was acquired by Renishaw in 2011 and currently accommodates 650 employees, was granted by the Vale of Glamorgan Council last year. With the company continuing to see strong business growth and have confidence in its long-term prospects, those plans will now be realised.

https://www.renishaw.com/en/renishaw-announces-investment-of-over-gbps50-million-for-uk-manufacturing-site--47440

Equinor and SSE Thermal to buy Saltend power station for £341m

A £341 million deal for the gas-fired power station at Saltend has been agreed, with Equinor and SSE Thermal uniting - kickstarting work on building the Humber's hydrogen economy.

The energy giants are advancing their role in the cleaning up the UK's most carbon-intensive industrial cluster, with the buyout of the 1.2GW plant east of Hull.

It will see preparations begin for the use of hydrogen, produced from natural gas by Equinor, on a neighbouring site soon to be realised.

Triton Power, the business under which it operates, is currently owned by US-based Energy Capital Partners, a power-focused infrastructure investor.
It is the latest joint venture from the British and Norwegian multinationals, with developments at Keadby on the South Bank and plans for hydrogen storage at Aldbrough, East Yorkshire.

https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/equinor-sse-thermal-buy-saltend-24339195

UK-built Forum satellite will measure greenhouse effect

A spacecraft measuring Earth’s warming ‘greenhouse’ effect in its greatest ever detail will be built in the UK.

The Forum satellite will be assembled by aerospace giant Airbus at its factory in Stevenage.

It will monitor far-infrared radiation coming up from our planet’s surface.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61970370

News from the 20th - 24th June 2022

Eco-Airship contract to create 1,800 jobs in South Yorkshire

The construction of 10 environmentally friendly airships will create about 1,800 jobs in South Yorkshire.

HAV (Hybrid Air Vehicles), a small Bedford-based company, said it signed a deal with a Spanish airline for 10 helium-filled Airlander 10 airships, which can carry 100 passengers.

A new green aerospace manufacturing cluster will produce the aircraft, which will have a CO2 footprint a tenth of that of jet planes, according to the manufacturer.

https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/984930/eco-airship-contract-to-create-1-800-jobs-in-south-yorkshire-984930.html

Fisherman’s Friend bids to build new production facility in Fleetwood

Lofthouse of Fleetwood, the UK manufacturer of Fisherman’s Friend lozenges, which has been based in Fleetwood since 1865, has announced that it is about to submit a planning application to Wyre Council to build a new, “World Class”, manufacturing facility, next to its current site in Fleetwood.

The new plant would be built on a 20 acre plot it acquired in 2020 from Associated British Ports which runs the nearby port facilities.

https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/business/consumer/fishermans-friend-bids-to-build-new-production-facility-in-fleetwood-3733007

Ciner Glass receives planning approval for £390 million UK glass production facility

Ciner Glass has received planning approval to build a glass manufacturing facility in the UK.

The £390m facility will be built in Ebbw Vale, Wales, and lead to the creation of up to 600 jobs.

The facility, referred to in the planning documents as the Dragon Glass Bottle Manufacturing Facility is scheduled to start glass production in 2026

https://www.glass-international.com/news/ciner-glass-receives-planning-approval-for-uk-glass-production-facility

News from the 27th May - 10th June 2022

Ultra-fast EV charging project ‘will accelerate manufacturing – and adoption’

The £9.7m government-backed Celeritas project aims to reduce electric vehicle battery charging times to 12 minutes. This should accelerate the adoption of the vehicles and help towards the UK government’s target of zero tailpipe emissions by 2050.

Funding is being delivered by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and consortium members Sprint Power, BMW, BP, AMTE Power, Clas-SiC and Eltrium.

https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/ultra-fast-ev-charging-project-'will-accelerate-manufacturing-and-adoption

Cradle to Cradle’: Plans unveiled for UK sustainable lithium supply chain

The first large-scale commercial lithium refinery in the UK is set to be built as part of a deal between electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer InoBat and mineral processing specialist Green Lithium.

The strategic partnership will see Green Lithium supply InoBat with battery-grade lithium chemicals, as part of a wider collaboration designed to advance the firms “shared sustainability ambitions”.

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4050835/cradle-cradle-plans-unveiled-uk-sustainable-lithium-supply-chain

Sheffield manufacturer to create 32 local jobs following £9.7m investment project

Sheffield based Advanced Manufacturing Ltd (AML) has secured a £1.98m investment from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which will see it create 32 new jobs.

The funding will help the gas turbine machining specialist to launch and roll out AML Accelerate, a programme designed to “stimulate rapid growth”, which will transform the business from a single site with 50 staff and a £5m turnover to over 80 staff and two sites with a £12m turnover.

https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2022/06/06/sheffield-manufacturer-to-create-32-local-jobs-following-97m-investment-project