Weber sets standard with BREEAM factory
BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable development and is the world’s longest standing and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It covers a wide range of building types including BREEAM Industrial, against which Weber’s new facility was assessed.
Weber's eight-acre site is located in Telford, one of the fastest growing manufacturing areas in the West Midlands. Offering easy access to the UK motorway network, its creation will also enable Weber UK to become a self sufficient manufacturer. Instead of relying upon certain raw materials imported from France, the company is now developing its plant in Flitwick to produce these mixtures, significantly reducing delivery costs, transport miles and carbon footprint.
Designed to output 100,000 tonnes of façade renders, tiling adhesives and flooring screeds annually, the factory’s modern technology takes just under three minutes to produce one batch. It is highly efficient in terms of recycling and features a sophisticated system to recover production waste, which is returned to the production cycle. However, it is not only the production process which contributes to energy savings, with Weber’s new generation EWI system helping to significantly lower the building’s carbon footprint.
Unlike multi-coat systems which require drying time between coats, weber.therm XP is simple and quick to install. Its specially designed onecoat,through-coloured render is very durable and requires no long term maintenance. It also offers a cost effective construction turn-around time, enabling Weber to build the plant in record time at just under nine months.
Eamon McDonnell, Managing Director of Weber in the UK and Ireland, comments: “Weber’s new flagship plant in Telford sets the standard for future developments in the UK. It combines innovative construction materials with environmental features such as lighting controls and water management systems, resulting in a facility that will enable us to meet the growing demand for our products while making year on year energy savings.
“In addition to the building of this new plant we have also substantially upgraded our R&D labs at Flitwick, demonstrating our continued commitment to providing our customers with the best products, the best service and the best value in the industrial mortars market.”
The new facility is in addition to Weber’s existing manufacturing sites in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, and Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, which will both remain fully operational. Worldwide, Weber now operates over 200 sites in 35 countries. For more information on the company’s products and activities in the UK please visit www.netweber.co.uk.