Global giant Yara International is to build the UK’s largest specialist fertiliser manufacturing plant in East Yorkshire, in what will be a £50 million investment.
The Norwegian company has agreed a deal with leading regional developer Horncastle Group to locate on its Ozone Business Park in Howden. It had revealed the huge investment in the county in May, stating it would be close to existing operations at Pocklington.
Now confirmed, it will mark the start of Phase Two of the development – described as a premier logistics and distribution base – which is already home to DHL, DPD and Warburtons.
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The 295,669 sq ft build will be delivered by West Yorkshire-headquartered Caddick Construction as part of a £28 million contract. It includes a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, warehouses, and offices that will enable Yara to double production of its YaraVita speciality crop nutrition products and biostimulants, which are vital to achieving future food security and mitigating climate change.
David Tomkinson, operations director of Yara UK and son of John Tomkinson, the founder of Phosyn, said: “What began in Yorkshire in 1967 as Phosyn, is set to stay in Yorkshire for the next exciting leg of the Yara journey.
“Yara was put in contact with Horncastle who had already completed a development of Ozone One Business Park at Howden and were in the process of planning Ozone Two. This opportunity presented enough land for Yara to realise its new Global YaraVita Plant, in addition it offered improved access to logistical networks. Horncastle assisted Yara in the design and civils of the new plant and will continue to support the development during its construction.”
Despite the scale, no new jobs will be created, with all existing roles maintained. Virtually all the plant’s products will be exported to markets around the world, helping to meet a rising global demand from growers to improve crop health and increase yields. It comes 10 months after Yara closed its Harvest House head office in Grimsby, moving it to the Pocklington site.
Tom Horncastle, managing director of Horncastle Group, said securing Yara International as the first occupant of Phase Two was a fantastic result for all parties. “Ozone Business Park is one of the best located logistics hubs in the north east of England.,” he said. “Situated a stone’s throw from the M62 and with excellent links to the M18 and M1, it provides quick and easy access to the south, west, and north of the country. This is why the first phase of the development has been so popular with third party logistics providers.
“Yara’s decision to locate its new manufacturing plant here demonstrates the design flexibility Ozone Business Park can provide, including the high operational power requirements needed by Yara for their production lines. With the first plot now secured, we are expecting a lot of interest in the two remaining plots.”
Work on the main building is due to complete in summer 2024. This will be followed by an extensive plant and machinery fit-out period, with the production facility due to become operational by the end of 2025.
As part of the deal, the Horncastle Group procured planning and design for Yara, and is now acting as development manager.
“This is a hugely exciting scheme to be involved in,” Mr Horncastle added. “We will be working closely with our client and our construction partner Caddick Construction to deliver a truly exceptional scheme.”
Paul Dodsworth, Caddick’s group managing director, said: “Yara’s new manufacturing plant is not only important for the partners involved, ourselves included, but it is also vital to the region’s manufacturing industry and we’re very proud to be leading the delivery of a development that will boost the region’s industry, job market and economy.
“Understanding our client’s ambitions, their investments in research and development, and their production processes all underpin our appointment to the project, and we look forward to applying our manufacturing expertise to this truly exciting project on behalf of Yara International.”
It comes just weeks after Metsa Group revealed plans for a tissue mill at neighbouring Goole, in another huge Nordic investment.
Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber
