Cumbria firm awarded £4.5 million grant from government
A CUMBRIAN manufacturing company has been awarded a government grant of almost £4.5million to try and convert waste gas at the plant into energy.
Futamura Chemical UK, based in Wigton, a leading global manufacturer of sustainable cellulose films and materials that employs 270 people in the town, has been awarded a grant of £4,486,851.
The money is part of a £14million project that will see the Station Road plant convert waste gas to energy.
The grant will help the company to reduce carbon emissions, improve efficiency and cut energy costs, support jobs in Cumbria and 'promote growth as part of the Government's wider economic plan'.
Futamura, based in Wigton for over 90 years, manufactures flexible packaging films that are derived from wood-pulp, with the firm said to be 'excited' following the announcement of the grant.
The company's managing director Adrian Cave said: "I don't think in my career, there has been a project that I have been more excited about.
"At Futamura we are passionate about our NatureFlex and Cellophane products, and that includes ensuring we continually evolve and utilise greener manufacturing processes, to further reduce our environmental footprint.
"Transformational projects such as this WSA installation invariably are expensive and have a medium to long term payback.
"Companies like ours do require support financially and this IETF energy efficiency grant has resulted in this project coming to fruition. We are very grateful for this support."
The cash is part of the government's Plan for Change to support low carbon projects in energy intensive industries through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF).
Markus Campbell-Savours, Member of Parliament for Penrith & Solway, welcomed the news. He said: 'I congratulate Futamura on securing this investment, one of the largest grants to be issued in this round of IETF funding.
"This government is committed to helping industry reduce its energy consumption and this project will enhance the sustainability and future of this 90-year-old business.
"This is a huge boost to Wigton and the hundreds of workers employed at the site."
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