Pilkington's St Helens plant will reportedly begin producing glass for the solar power industry very soon. The reopening of the £22M UK5 float line at Greengate, plans for which were revealed in July 2009, has created about 200 new jobs, says Pilkington. In what is regarded as a pivotal step for the company's owners, Japanese NSG, the company will manufacture glass for emerging solar energy markets overseas. The glass will be given a hi-tech coating at UK5 & then cut to size at Pilkington's Cowley Hill works, & used in a range of solar energy products aimed at converting solar energy into electricity. David Pinder, MD of Pilkington UK, said: "The development of solar energy technologies offers huge opportunities for the glass industry. The global solar market has roughly doubled in 2010 compared with 2009. The solar energy sector is very much global with many countries showing strong demand, it is important we are in a position to respond to this increase in demand - diversifying our products & production techniques at UK5 do just that. "We have a strong heritage in the St Helens region for glass making so it's particularly pleasing that as new technologies develop we are able to adapt with the creation of in excess of 100 jobs." Work to upgrade UK5, where the solar glass will be coated, was completed two years ago but it was put on standby during the recession.
