ExxonMobil completes £75m investment at Newport plant

ExxonMobil has completed a major £75m expansion of its speciality elastomers manufacturing plant in Newport, Wales, which has doubled the plant’s manufacturing capacity and increases global manufacturing capacity of Santoprene™ thermoplastic elastomers by 25%.

The project created approximately 35 full-time production jobs and supported 130 jobs during construction.

ExxonMobil has opened two new production lines at its chemical plant in Newport following a £75 million investment / Picture: ExxonMobil

Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company, said: “ExxonMobil’s high-performance plastics help make automotive and consumer products lighter, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and higher performance, compared with products made with traditional materials.”

Tom Van Nuland, Advanced Elastomer Systems (AES) plant manager, added: “ExxonMobil has invested substantially to develop our production capacity in Newport. We are delighted to have both lines on-stream and performing as planned. The decision to invest in the Newport plant, and the quality of the output from the new production lines reflect well on the excellence of our workforce from this part of Wales.”

Welsh Government Economy and Transport Minister, Ken Skates, concluded: “It is pleasing to see ExxonMobil’s investment at its Newport plant creating 35 new jobs and providing a welcome boost to the Welsh economy. Investment like this not only supports the industry but also provides a vote of confidence to manufacturing in South Wales. As we prepare to leave the European Union it is more important than ever that industry looks to innovate, invest and increase productivity wherever possible.”

Santoprene™ thermoplastic elastomers are engineered to perform like vulcanized rubber, and can be re-used and re-engineered, leading to reduced shipping weights, improved recycling capabilities and more-sustainable manufacturing.