Plans for a new manufacturing facility in Flintshire

Plans for an international insulation company to build a factory on part of the Shotton Steelworks site would create 143 new jobs.

The German company, Knauf Insulation have submitted a scoping opinion request to Flintshire County Council which is a preliminary move to see if the idea of a development is acceptable before a more in-depth Environmental Impact Assessment is produced.

Mr Rowlands, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Transport and Infrastructure said:

“I am delighted to see a major international manufacturer considering building a factory in Flintshire which would create 143 jobs.

“I am always pleased to hear about more jobs for the area and it is great to see another manufacturing businesses being attracted to Deeside.

“It just shows that here in North-East Wales we can facilitate international companies like Knauf. However, I do feel the Welsh Government should do a lot more to encourage this sort of investment and seriously look at improving our transport links.”

Knauf proposes to build a factory to produce rock wool insulation on part of the former Shotton Steelworks site.

In the document to the council the company says that it intends to build on the 15,000sq metre site a main process building with two 70 metre chimney stacks and a third smaller emergency stack.

It will take in 120,000 tonnes of raw materials per year  – basalt, slag and recycled rock wool insulation – and turn that into 100,000 tonnes of rock wool insulation for use in housing and industrial insulation using an electric melting furnace

As well as the 143 local jobs Knauf has estimated the facility will also generate around 400 jobs in the wider UK supply chain.

Pictured - Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales.