A 200-year-old Merseyside glassworks,
where Pilkington UK pioneered the modern method of glass manufacturing used
around the world to this day, has stopped production for the final time as part
of a major investment project.
Watson Street Works, operated by Pilkington
United Kingdom Limited, part of the NSG Group, has operated in St Helens since
1826. It’s where Sir Alastair Pilkington invented the modern float glass
process, which revolutionised the way flat glass was produced.
Pilkington UK announced in April 2023 its
plans to move production at Watson Street Works to its neighbouring Greengate
site in the town, as part of a project that represents one of the single
biggest investments the manufacturer has made in the UK in decades.
The glass giant is upgrading its Greengate
furnace to accommodate the site’s continued production of float glass, as well
as the additional manufacturing line from Watson Street. Pilkington UK expects
that all jobs will be retained as part of the move.
The project will benefit from a £3.7m grant
via the government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IEFT), which helps
cover the costs of industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects in
the UK.
Running one glass furnace in the town, rather
than the two it currently runs between Greengate and Watson Street, will save
15,000 tonnes of CO2e per year. The project is central to
Pilkington UK’s Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) certified target of
achieving a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2018
levels – and to meet net zero emissions by 2050.
Neil Syder, managing director of Pilkington
UK, said: “Watson Street’s legacy can be felt in every building we live and
work in today. It defined a century of glassmaking as the true birthplace of
the modern float glass process, which enabled the mass production of
high-quality glass around the world.
“It’s closure forms part of how we’re defining
the next century of glassmaking next-door at Greengate. That’s where, alongside
our industry partners like Glass Futures, we’re completing pioneering work that
will enable the global glass industry to decarbonise. Most recently, it’s where
we’ve invented Pilkington Mirai, a glass with 52% less embodied carbon –
representing the lowest embodied carbon glass of its kind.”
Alongside its glassmaking heritage, Watson
Street Works’ Victorian industrial architecture provided the backdrop for many
films and TV series, hosting Hollywood A-listers from Samuel L. Jackson to
Cillian Murphy in productions including Marvel’s Secret Invasion and BBC’s
Peaky Blinders.
A lucky NSG Group employee won the opportunity
to push the red button on Watson Street’s production line for the last time, as
part of a competition that raised £533 for St. Helens based charity Teardrops.
Watson Street Works is home to the glass
manufacturer’s texture glass production line, which will move to Greengate as
part of the project. Pilkington UK has built up good stock availability ahead
of the line’s move, meaning customers won’t be impacted.
