2 minute read - 15th November 2023
Panasonic to make £20m investment at Cardiff factory
Global electronics company Panasonic is to invest up to £20m at its microwave oven manufacturing facility in Cardiff, cementing its ongoing commitment to Wales. The firm has earmarked the Welsh capital to roll out a state-of-the-art net zero power system as part of its ambition to use the site as a centre of excellence for green technologies within the UK.
Panasonic’s self-sustaining system makes use of hydrogen fuel cell generators, photovoltaic generators, and storage batteries. The technology is currently only in use at another of the firm’s facilities in Japan and will turn Cardiff, which employs around 400 people, into another pilot site. The project will use the pure hydrogen fuel cell generators and photovoltaic generators for in-house power generation, and will supply 100% of the electricity consumed in Panasonic’s microwave manufacturing from renewable sources.
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Panasonic is to make a £20m investment at its microwave oven factory in Cardiff to power the site with hydrogen fuel cell generators and photovoltaic generators / Picture: Panasonic
Panasonic will also engage with local higher education institutions while developing the project, and the first phase is expected to be operational by 2024.
Mr Masahiro Shinada, president and CEO of Panasonic Corporation, said: “The commitment Wales has shown to cutting carbon emissions and safeguarding the environment for future generations makes it the ideal location for Panasonic’s first deployment of RE100 outside of Japan. We are proud to be working together with Wales towards a green future.”
Vaughan Gething, minister for the economy, added: “I want to extend my sincere thanks to Panasonic for cementing their ongoing commitment to the workforce in Cardiff and to the wider Welsh economy. Not only are they bringing innovative, groundbreaking technology to the Welsh capital but also supporting the Welsh Government’s journey to net zero by 2050. Meeting those targets requires active industrial policy and a commitment to continue to work with our partners, like Panasonic, to develop and deliver the technologies, infrastructure and projects that bring about a stronger, fairer, and greener Wales.”