AKZONOBEL RETURNS MANUFACTURING INNOVATION TO THE NORTH EAST

At a cost of £100m, AkzoNobel’s Ashington production centre is capable of doubling output – the equivalent of 80m 2.5 litre tins of Dulux – while halving its carbon footprint when compared to previous facilities.

Automation processes are powered by renewable energy methods, including photovoltaic (PV) cells and a biomass boiler in order to increase productivity and save water, waste and energy.

Thanks to a single computer system, the production process can be managed from ordering raw materials to shipping the finished products, which include Dulux.

This technology is supported by 150 employees on site, as well as a further 100 people working at a local supply chain.

Covering the equivalent of 14 football pitches, AkzoNobel’s Ashington site already has the space and capability to provide enough paint to decorate every bathroom, living room and kitchen in the UK each year. But at 100,000 sqm there’s room for further development.

Head of Manufacturing at Ashington, Jeff Hope, talked about how the project is a manufacturing game-changer,

“Ashington has taken the best technology available globally, improved on it and put it all under one roof. It represents a significant step forward for the whole industry.”

The opening of the plant in Ashington reveals the extent of what can be achieved through the use of advances in technology and engineering, both from a production and environmental perspective.

Manufacturing insurance can already cover engineering inspection and machine breakdown as standard.

As insurers begin to recognise the significant part renewable energy and technology can play in the industry’s advancement, other insurance policies such as cyber liability and renewable plant cover may be offered as standard, too.