Reshoring & Manufacturing News - Page 47 of 53

Oil & Gas News, February 2017

A new research and development facility has opened in Aberdeen to help breathe new life into the struggling North Sea oil industry. The Oil and Gas Technology Centre will partly fund the work while also acting as a bridge between small tech firms and the big oil producers. Oil supply company Mistras has been developing technology more commonly used to enable expectant mothers to see their babies. The ultrasound scanners, complete with cold jelly, are being used to detect corrosion in pipes. ...

Manufacturing News, February 2017

MANUFACTURING The newly appointed managing director of the Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology training hub has challenged employers to help him create a ‘Marches Engineering Powerhouse’. Based in Bridgnorth (Shropshire), the 36,000 sqft Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMI) was unveiled in December 2016 and has the ambitious target of reaching and training 2,020 learners by 2020’. Its managing director, Matt Snelson believes that Industry has to stop ‘cannibalising’ the skills pool and instead invest in developing the next-generation of engineers ...

Power Generation News, February 2017

The Scottish government has approved plans to increase the size of a South Lanarkshire wind farm. Hamilton-based Banks Renewables has received permission from the Scottish government’s Energy Consents & Deployment Unit (EDCU) for its Kype Muir Extension wind farm, south of Strathaven. The 15 turbine, 51MW, expansion will increase the total capacity at Kype Muir to 139MW and turbine population to 41. ____________________ Energy bills are set to rise for manufacturers in the face of a new government initiative, which promises reliable resources of ...

Automotive News, February 2017

Average car prices have risen by 5.2% since the Brexit vote in June 2016, according to industry research. The City expects the UK’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) to reach 1.9% in the year to January. It has risen steadily from -0.1% in October 2015 to 1.6% in December 2016. It said the price of some larger people-carriers had gone up by as much as 12.3%, although some other luxury cars were actually cheaper. In 2016, 86% of the cars sold in the ...

Rail News, February 2017

The Government has started a hunt for HS2 manufacturer. The £2.75 billion contract will be awarded in 2019 with the winning bidders going on to deliver a brand new fleet of up to 60 trains which will provide services capable of seating more than 1,000 passengers. The trains will be required to meet HS2's design and performance needs and international standards for passenger experience, noise reduction, and environmental sustainability, while maximising skills, employment and growth opportunities. The successful bidder will also maintain ...

Oil & Gas News, February 2017

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to sell $3.8bn (£2.46bn) worth of North Sea assets to oil exploration Firm Chrysaor as part of continuing cost-cutting measures. Shell is aiming to sell $30bn of assets by 2018 as seeks to reduce its debts following its takeover of BG Group. The oil giant is also to sell its stake in a Thai gas field for $900m. Shell’s interests in Buzzard, Beryl, Bressay, Elain-Franklin, J-Block, the Greater Armada cluster, Everest, Lomond and Erskine – plus a ...

Aerospace & Defence News, February 2017

Defence giant BAE Systems is being paid by the United States government to supply the Indian Army with field guns. The 145 M777 ultra-lightweight howitzers will be made at the company's site In Barrow, Cumbria. The £445m ($542m) contract will mean 130 new jobs, it said. The US Department of Defence is buying the weaponry through its Foreign Military Sales programme, which supports other countries' defence if it is in US and world security interests. Work will start immediately and deliveries are scheduled ...

Power Generation News, February 2017

Norwegian oil giant Statoil has taken on a strategic partner as it prepares to build the world's first floating wind farm off the east coast of Scotland. It has agreed to sell 25% of its assets in Hywind Scotland Pilot Park to Abu Dhabi renewable energy group Masdar. Statoil said the 30MW wind farm, which will lie about 15 miles from Peterhead, could power 20,000 households. Under the transaction, Statoil and Masdar have agreed to share the development risk, with Masdar covering ...

Automotive News February 2017

Jaguar Land Rover has kept a firm grip on its position as the UK’s number one vehicle manufacturer, producing nearly one in three of all the cars made in Britain last year. The West Midlands-based company, with its engine plant in Wolverhampton, saw 544,401 cars roll off the production lines at its three UK car factories in 2016 – up 8% on the previous year. JLR’s growth has been driven by demand for its top-selling Jaguar F-Pace and the new Land Rover ...

Evolution of reshoring in the plastics industry heading into 2017

Last spring the UK experienced a growth in reshoring manufacturing, following the industry trend in North America. 18 months later, how has this evolved and what will be the impact of Brexit? Family-run, UK plastic injection moulding company Pentagon Plastics have continued to experience a resurgence in reshoring. Over the last year they have welcomed an increase in enquiries from customers that have previously used overseas suppliers. Paul Edwards, Managing Director, highlights that companies looking to bring their manufacturing back to the UK ...