Saint-Gobain are back and better than ever. They finally completed the major re-build and installation of their new state-of-the-art float glass furnace at our Saint-Gobain Glass site in Eggborough, East Yorkshire.
The former furnace had reached the end of its design life and they needed to install one with an enlarged capacity to reduce energy usage and boost our manufacturing efficiency and production capacity.
Saint-Gobain is pleased to announce that our Eggborough facility resumed production in August 2021. It’s a very proud moment for them as this upgrade will provide greater automation and enhanced control systems, with the use of the very latest equipment and integrated digital technologies.
It is a major milestone in the history of their business as they plugged £30m into this project – the largest industrial investment in the UK by Saint-Gobain since the Eggborough plant was built in 2000.
The project has been several years in development and planning to ensure their customers received the same level of supply during the construction process. This involved stock build-up in advance and imports of glass from our Saint-Gobain sister plants in Europe which helped them to fulfill orders during the process.
The new facility is designed to manufacture high-performance products developed in the UK to meet the specific needs of the UK window industry. Better reliability, higher yield, and a better product are the result of our upgrade. There has never been a greater need to protect the planet and invent a more sustainable future – the new design will result in a 20 percent energy reduction.
Increased supply of sustainable carbon-saving glass to the UK is really important for future homes and buildings as they move to become more energy-efficient.
Steven Severs, Managing Director at Saint-Gobain Glass, described his overriding emotion as “pride” upon completing this mammoth project safely, on time and on budget.
He said: “It’s a major step forward in Saint-Gobain’s net-zero journey and delivering our global strategic purpose to Make the World a Better Home.”
Video and article courtesy of Saint-Gobain