Manufacturer Schneider Electric, a French multinational that specialises in digital automation and energy management, already employs some 450 people in the North Yorkshire town of Scarborough, with an existing site on Clayton Low Road.
A new facility is now being constructed in Scarborough Business Park about 500m away. The company says the building will be triple the size of the Clayton Low Road site, and is expected to open in early 2025.
Staff will be relocated as well as new workers being added to the payroll.
It’s seen as a shot in the arm for the community, which has been hit hard a decline in its fishing and tourism industries and rising living costs.
In 2022, an inquiry by Scarborough Council into how the cost of living crisis was impacting locals found that 85 percent of North Yorkshire’s most deprived residents lived in the borough.
The report also found the area had the county’s highest levels of homelessness and rough sleeping, as well as the “the poorest health outcomes”.
Schneider Electric specialises in making low-voltage switch gears that protect and distribute electricity. They’re key for rolling out energy-efficient and sustainable projects including net-zero buildings and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
The company said the site is poised to become a net-zero plant that will use modern tech to reduce energy waste and maximise the use of renewable energy.
It is expected to be net-zero in Scope 1 and 2 emissions (referring to direct emissions from a company’s operations and indirect energy emissions, respectively) when it opens next year.
The site “is a blueprint for sustainable design and operations in the manufacturing industry”, said Schneider Electric, which aims to have 30 per cent of the facility’s energy generated by a solar energy system.
Kelly Becker, President at Schneider Electric, UK & Ireland, Belgium & Netherlands, said: “Sustainability is at the core of our purpose, culture and business.
“We’re proud to be investing in and developing innovative solutions which will deliver immediate and lasting decarbonisation in the UK, while bolstering the creation of local, green jobs in Yorkshire.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment will “not only safeguard existing jobs but create 200 new ones.
“Increasing investment is a mission at the heart of this government, and our modern Industrial Strategy will help us deliver long-term, stable growth that supports skilled jobs,” he added.
Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, a membership organization that supports the UK manufacturing industry, said: “This is a marvellous example of how sustainable manufacturing can be achieved, creating many highly skilled jobs in the process.
“Green technologies are going to be the solution to many of the challenges that we face and Schneider should be applauded for pioneering this facility. It is an exemplar model for other manufacturers to follow when they build new facilities.”
Today, Schneider Electric is a group that employs 5,000 people in the UK and Ireland. Globally, it closed 2023 with a turnover of 36 billion euros.
With its head office in London, there are a further 13 operational sites across the UK which specialise in energy management solutions including automation and control, electrical distribution and building management, amongst others.