- 5,200 Ton XL press starts production
- £37 million pound investment in Nissan Sunderland plant
- Total Nissan production in the UK passes nine million
SUNDERLAND, UK – Production has started on Nissan's new extra-large press at its manufacturing plant in Sunderland. The £37 million pound project has taken just over 18 months to complete since ground was broken mid-way through 2015. Once at full capacity, it will be capable of stamping 2.5 million panels a year with a force in excess of 5,200 tons.
An official ceremony was held today at the new facility, which also celebrated the milestone of nine million cars built at the plant since production began in 1986.
"The new press is a fantastic piece of cutting edge technology which sets up the next generation of production at Nissan Sunderland Plant," said Nissan's divisional vice president, European Manufacturing, Kevin Fitzpatrick. "The quality of the build and the efficiency of the installation are a real credit to the dedication, talent and sheer hard work of our team at the plant. Reaching nine million cars is also a tremendous achievement for the plant. The vehicles we make have come a long way from the first Nissan Bluebird to roll off the line. And it's not just the quantity; it's the quality of craftsmanship that goes into our innovative and exciting cars that will keep pushing us towards new production records."
More than 10 meters in height, with foundations deeper than 6.5 meters, the giant facility will press body sides and other panels for vehicles built in Sunderland, including the leading crossovers Qashqai and Juke, the Nissan LEAF, the world's best-selling electric vehicle, and the two INFINITI models, Q30 and QX30.
The new press line and panel storage area required a building extension totalling 6,780 meters squared, taking the total built up space on site above 362,000 meters squared, the equivalent of more than 50 football pitches. The new XL press, the first of its type in the Renault-Nissan Alliance, will be the biggest at Sunderland and joins the existing seven press lines.
In addition to the company's £3bn annual injection into the British economy through suppliers, services and wages, the new press forms part of the £650m ongoing investment in new facilities and future models in Sunderland, which has taken the total capital investment by Nissan in the plant since it opened to beyond £4bn.
Embed this cinemagraph on your website
Embed this cinemagraph on your website
About Nissan in the UK
- One in three cars built in the UK is a Nissan
- Nissan Sunderland Plant currently employs 7,000 people, manufacturing the Nissan Qashqai, Juke, LEAF and the Infiniti Q30 and QX30
- 80% of production is exported to over 130 markets globally
- Nissan's European Design Centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 65 people
- Nissan's European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 1,000 people
- Nissan’s sales and marketing headquarters in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire employs around 190 people
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,000 staff across locally based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 635,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan recently announced its Intelligent Mobility vision. Designed to guide Nissan's product and technology pipeline, this 360-degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society. Nissan is positioned to become the most desirable Asian brand in Europe.
http://www.newsroom.nissan-europe.com
# # #
Contact
Ben Guy, Nissan Sunderland Plant
Tel: +44 (0) 191 4152038
M: +44 (0) 7779 783652
ben.guy@nissan-nmuk.co.uk
Paul James, Nissan Europe
Tel: +44 (0) 191 4184197
M: +44 (0) 7814 851943
paul.james@nissan-nmuk.co.uk