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Installation of new Saint-Gobain Glass furnace is complete

The installation of a new state-of-the-art float glass furnace at Saint-Gobain Glass’ factory in Eggborough, East Yorkshire has been completed safely and on time.

The installation of a new state-of-the-art float glass furnace at Saint-Gobain Glass’ factory in Eggborough, East Yorkshire has been completed safely and on time. 

The four-month, £30m construction project has delivered increased capacity and greater glass-making capability for the UK glazing and construction industry.  It is the largest industrial investment in the UK by the French-owned Saint-Gobain Group since the Eggborough plant was built in 2000, demonstrating its commitment to the long-term future of glass manufacturing in the UK. 

Steve Severs, Managing Director at Saint-Gobain Glass said: “It is an incredible achievement that, despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and Brexit, more than 250 contractor personnel from 30 companies from the UK and across Europe came together to complete this huge project on time and within budget. 

“We are so pleased and proud to have such an impressive facility up and running and creating high-performance glass that meets the needs of the UK market.” 

The new furnace uses less energy than the old furnace, which had come to the end of its service life, and will help the company to optimise manufacturing efficiency and increase production capacity.  It will also help to further enhance Saint-Gobain’s already market-leading environmental and sustainability credentials including its aim to be carbon neutral by 2050. Further investment in the operating capability will follow, particularly in plant de-carbonisation. 

Mr Severs added: “We recognise our responsibility as a manufacturer to constantly improve the way we do things in order to satisfy the net zero performance requirement. With this latest investment, we expect to continue to reduce our environmental footprint.

“We are grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding whilst these improvements have been made. The project has been several years in development to ensure continuity of supply for our customers throughout the construction process, and all this planning has paid off.”