Glassmaker Pilkington UK says a production line installed at its St Helens factory in summer 2025 has saved 15,000 tonnes of carbon – equivalent to taking 8,000 cars off the road – in its first year of operation. Tony McDonough reports
Glassmaker Pilkington UK says its recently-installed rolled glass line at the Greengate plant in St Helens has saved 15,000 tonnes of carbon in its first year of operation.
In 2024 Pilkington, part of the Japanese NSG Group, closed its Watson Street furnace and production line at which had been in operation for almost 200 years. It decided to move production onto one site at the nearby Greengate site.
At the time Pilkington said the multi-million pound rolled texture glass production facility represented its “biggest investment in St Helens in decades”. Saving 15,000 tonnes of carbon is the equivalent of taking 8,000 cars off the road.
This saving was achieved by consolidating both rolled and float glass manufacturing into a single furnace and closing Watson Street. Pilkington UK is supporting St Helens Council with plans to redevelop the Watson Street site.
Neil Syder, managing director of Pilkington UK, said: “When we opened the new line a year ago, we made a commitment to safeguard the future of rolled texture glass manufacturing in St Helens, while also significantly reducing our carbon footprint. We have delivered on both.
“The annual 15,000 tonne CO2e saving ambition is now a reality. It demonstrates that investing in cutting-edge manufacturing and sustainability can go hand in hand.”
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This new production line manufactures Pilkington UK’s Texture by Pilkington glass range, featuring 20 original designs and textures used for privacy and style in interior design, and is part of a multi-million-pound investment.
Pilkington says this carbon reduction supports its wider sustainability commitments, which include a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels and achieving net zero by 2050.
The project received £3.7m in funding through the UK government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.