AkzoNobel’s new manufacturing facility in Ashington, Northumberland, has reached a significant milestone as Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd has officially handed over the keys to the site.
After having completed the civil construction, Sir Robert McAlpine has now officially completed its role as principal contractor and has handed the remainder of the site build over to an AkzoNobel plant commissioning team and ABB Ltd, which will supervise the installation of all processes and equipment.
Jeff Hope, Site Manager at AkzoNobel, Ashington, said: “We are now moving to a new stage in the development of the plant. The team at Sir Robert McAlpine brought an exceptional level of expertise to the project that we knew they possessed.”
Stressing the importance of safety and welfare, Hope added: “It is a tribute to all concerned on the project that Sir Robert McAlpine has not recorded one single injury during 850,000 hours of continual work on site. Given that at the height of the build, there were over 250 contractors on site, it is an amazing achievement.”
One of the first remaining tasks for the commissioning team will be the installation of nine fully automated paint filling lines which will provide the potential to produce up to 100 million litres of paint for sale in the UK and Europe.
Environmental commitments at the Ashington manufacturing facility aim at energy efficiency. There will be 100% reuse of water, 90% solvent reuse targets and the elimination of waste at source. The company will also deliver a minimum of 10% of site energy from on-site low-carbon sources.
AkzoNobel also recently announced plans to invest £1-million in a new Powder Coatings Pilot Plant at its facility in Felling, Gateshead.
