JLR to double the size of its engine plant

JAGUAR Land Rover is to invest £450m to double the size of its Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) near Wolverhampton.

Rumours have circulated fro some time that the firm had plans to expand on the i54 business park and these have now been confirmed.

The car maker says the expansion programme is being driven by global demand for current and future models and predicts that several hundred new jobs will be created as a result.

JLR says the news is a clear signal of the company’s long-term commitment to Britain. Total investment in the site, which opened a year ago, now stands at £1bn.

The EMC is home to the high technology, low emission Ingenium engine – Jaguar Land Rover’s first venture into in-house engine manufacturing in a generation. In 12 months, the Midland based facility has moved from prototype production to full-scale manufacture with more than 50,000 engines coming off the production line.

The Ingenium engine launched initially in the Jaguar XE in April 2015 and was followed quickly by the Discovery Sport, two of the most significant product launches from the British manufacturer accounting for sales of 65,800 in the year so far.

Today the EMC supplies all three vehicle plants with engines which also power the Range Rover Evoque, all-new Jaguar XF and soon to be launched Jaguar F-PACE.

This latest phase in the development of the EMC will see the site increase its operational footprint to 200,000 sq m, supporting capacity uplift.

Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth said: “We are proud to be such a significant investor in advanced manufacturing in Britain and are excited by this expansion and the new jobs it will create.

“The Engine Manufacturing Centre is a strategically significant facility for Jaguar Land Rover. The decision to expand our operations at the site provides a clear signal of our commitment to meeting customer demand for cleaner and more efficient engines, whilst developing the skills and capability that Britain needs if it is to remain globally competitive.”

Jaguar Land Rover’s global workforce is expected to hit 40,000 by next year.

Rachel Eade, automotive lead for the Business Growth Service, welcomed the investment:

“There has been a lot of talk about Jaguar Land Rover’s global expansion plans and the possibility of creating new plants overseas. This £450m investment reinforces the car maker’s commitment to the UK and underlines how the i54 engine plant is already playing a crucial role in the company’s ambitious plans to double its production output and achieve lower emission engines,” she said.

“As well as the hundreds of jobs set to be created at the plant, there will no doubt be additional spin-offs in the supply chain and we expect our SMEs to be in an ideal position to take advantage of increased volumes and new opportunities.”

 

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