See Inside: The AkzoNobel £100m Dulux paint factory in Ashington

In 2017, AkzoNobel opened their new Dulux paint factory at Ashington in Northumberland. We take a look inside and explore the facts & figures behind the site.

The site covers 100,000 square metres and is the most advanced and sustainable paint factory in the world.

The investment meant AkzoNobel could double previous UK production levels to 200 million litres per year, the equivalent of eighty million 2.5 litre cans of Dulux.

AkzoNobel invested over £100 million at the facility, which is the largest ever global investment by the decorative paints business and became the new centre of production for Dulux, which is the UK’s most popular paint brand.

The site can produce over 33,000 different colours of Dulux paint.

Did someone say Smart Technology? All manufacturing technologies within the plant are managed by a single integrated computer system. All key processes, from the ordering of raw materials to the shipping of finished products, can be initiated without operator intervention.

Annual production from the Ashington plant produces approximately enough paint to redecorate every living room, bathroom and kitchen in the UK.

AkzoNobel estimates that the carbon footprint per litre of paint produced at Ashington is reduced by 50 per cent compared to the facilities it replaced.

The Ashington plant uses a variety of renewable energy sources, including photovoltaic cells and a biomass boiler, alongside an automated manufacturing process which saves water, waste and energy.

Over 150 people are employed at the Ashington plant, it holds an Investors in People Gold Award and enjoys a consistent engagement score of >4.9 against the Gallup Survey.

Even though the site already covers an area of 100,000m², the factory has the capacity to expand in order to support future growth plans.

A highly agile production system means the plant is capable of producing paint across the entire AkzoNobel range, which includes Dulux, Dulux Trade, Cuprinol, Polycell, Hammerite and Armstead.

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