Twenty jobs have been crated at a £37M new glass coating plant in the town of St Helens, home to Pilkington Group Ltd (part of Nippon Sheet Glass). A new high technology coating plant is to be installed at Pilkington's Greengate Works, which will produce speciality glass for a number of eco-friendly applications. The plant will create 20 or more jobs at Greengate, as well as safeguarding a further 233 jobs at the Cowley Hill site. The investment has attracted a £3M industrial development grant from DBERR, following support from the Mersey Partnership, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and St Helens Council. The site will begin operating from spring 2009 but construction of the ancillary plant has already begun. The new coating line will primarily produce speciality glass for use in the solar energy industry.
