NEW 140-JOB FACTORY GETS DEAL BACKING

Approval is 'milestone for sustainable manufacturing'

- By OWEN HUGHES [e-mail]

Knauf Insulation's Shotton facility plans

PLANS for a low carbon insulation manufacturing facility in Shotton to be constructed by Knauf Insulation Ltd, have moved forward with the approval of its outline business case for Growth Deal funding.

Given the go ahead to proceed to the next stage by Ambition North Wales, the project is expected to deliver significant economic and environmental benefits to the region creating new jobs in high-value manufacturing.

With £14.397 million from the Growth Deal as part of a total investment of £180 million, Knauf Insulation is looking to redevelop a site currently owned by Tata Steel, into an advanced rock mineral wool factory.

Knauf already has a site on Deeside, having operated its huge Chemistry Lane plant in Queensferry since the mid 1980s.

The new facility will use submerged arc furnace technology to produce low embodied carbon, noncombustible insulation materials.