Battery manufacturer GS Yuasa, which has a production plant in Ebbw Vale, is creating 105 new jobs and protecting a further 360 positions thanks to support from Welsh Government funding of up to £2.5m and a 'substantial' investment from the Japanese parent company.
The funding will help the company increase production volumes and upgrade processes so they are more energy efficient.
[caption id="attachment_27281" align="alignright" width="300"] Boost for battery production in Wales[/caption]
A new assembly line will be installed to produce new Lithium-ion battery modules, with semi-automation of key processes also introduced at the base in Rassau Industrial Estate.
READ: GS YUASA EBBW VALE HITS 40
The support, which comes from Welsh Government’s Economic Futures Fund, will be key in creating new employment opportunities and safeguarding the long-term future of the site.
Andrew Taylor, Managing Director and CEO of GS Yuasa Battery Europe Ltd, said: “This considerable investment is great news for the continued development and growth of our industrial battery business across Europe. Our manufacturing facility in Ebbw Vale produces Europe’s market leading range of industrial VRLA batteries with a pedigree of high performance, reliability and quality established over the past 40 years.
“It will help us to safeguard our current workforce of over 360 employees and will also assist us in creating over 100 new local jobs as we expand operations over the next three to five years".
Since 1981 the firm has been a volume employer in Blaenau Gwent, and has been joined by a growing number of other battery related companies, including the likes of Envirowales, PMB Battery and Deragallera.
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