Pilkington UK opens new glass production line in St Helens

• Pilkington UK completes biggest investment in St Helens in decades
• UK’s heritage in rolled texture glass production safeguarded with new production line
• Project will help glass manufacturer save 15,000 tonnes of CO2e per year

The new rolled glass production line manufactures Pilkington UK’s Texture by Pilkington glass range, featuring 21 original designs and textures used for privacy and style in interior design.

Production of the range has moved to Greengate Works from nearby Watson Street Works, which stopped production last year after two centuries of pioneering glassmaking.

Moving the production of Texture by Pilkington will enable the company to save 15,000 tonnes of CO2e annually, with Pilkington UK now manufacturing all glass from one furnace in the town, instead of the two between Greengate Works and Watson Street Works. Pilkington UK are supporting the council with plans to transform the Watson Street site.

Investing in the new line supports Pilkington UK’s wider sustainability goals, which include a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels and achieving net zero by 2050. The upgrade received £3.7 million in funding through the UK government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), which supports industrial decarbonisation efforts.

Pilkington UK’s Greengate Works in St Helens continues to pioneer the future of glassmaking globally. In recent years, it’s hosted a number of global firsts in hydrogen-fired glass production, achieving key milestones in reducing emissions across the sector following the move to Greengate Works.

Neil Syder, Managing Director of Pilkington UK, said: “Texture by Pilkington has been manufactured by our team in St Helens since 1852 and we’re proud to continue that legacy with this new rolled glass line. It represents a meaningful step forward, not just in securing the future of texture glass manufacturing, but in significantly lowering the carbon footprint of the range.

“Its construction was an incredible feat of engineering too. To build the new line, our team needed to break into the side of a live glass furnace, constructing a canal that takes glass away our current float line to the new rolled glass line in a separate building. This work now enables us to manufacture all our glass from one furnace, which saves us 15,000 tonnes of CO2e per year: the equivalent of taking over 8,800 cars off the road for a year*.

“By investing in our Greengate Works site, we’re building on nearly 200 years of glassmaking heritage and innovation while positioning ourselves to meet the changing needs of our industry as it decarbonises.”

For more information about the Texture by Pilkington range, click here.

*Based on a carbon saving of 15,000 tonnes of CO2 and the average CO₂ emissions per car per year in the UK of 1.7 million grams (NimbleFins)