AMBITIOUS plans for a world leading centre in glass innovation in St Helens have been handed a £15m funding boost, which backers say can be the “catalyst” for its creation.

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) confirmed today it is investing the funds for the development and fit out of experimental glass furnace facility, to be run by Glass Futures Ltd.

The £54m plant will be capable of producing 30 tonnes a day for windows, bottles or fibre glass and will be based on a former glassworks site formerly occupied by United Glass.

The 14-acre brownfield site is adjacent to Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium.

This funding represents the largest single item from UKRI’s Transforming Foundation Industry (TFI) Wave 3 Challenge budget of £66m across four years.

Alongside UKRI funding and the support of St Helens Borough Council, landowner and developer Network Space is seeking a further £9m grant from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, It is also seeking to secure private sector investment to support the construction costs of the facility.

A spokesperson for Glass Futures said the global glass industry will also provide a combined £20m in “resource, time and equipment to support the future operation of the research and development facility”.

Initial building design work has already commenced, funded by St Helens Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Following completion of the design and obtaining planning consent, construction is planned to start on site in 2021.

In a statement Glass Futures’ Chief Executive Richard Katz, said: “This £15m funding is an essential catalyst to kickstart the delivery of Glass Futures’ £54m Global Centre of Excellence in St Helens, an area rich in glass history.

“The state-of-the-art facility will enable Glass Futures and its members to work collaboratively to research and develop innovative solutions enhancing resource efficiency, moving the industry closer to sustainable low-carbon glass production and increasing productivity.”

“With this grant, UKRI recognises the importance glass has to play in a future to be built on sustainable, fully recyclable, low-carbon products manufactured with highly efficient processes.” Leading players behind the centre say the site in St Helens is expected to create around 50 highly skilled jobs directly, along with hundreds of indirect employment opportunities.

Earlier in 2020, Glass Futures was awarded a £7.1m contract by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to investigate alternative low carbon energy sources to replace high carbon natural gas in the production of glass.

This line will enable Glass Futures’ members and researchers to work together with academia to test alternative fuels, new raw materials, Industry 4.0 concepts, demonstrate new products and develop new processes, enabling the Glass Industry to implement change in a safe experimental space.

Mr Katz added: “The world as a whole needs to move to low carbon and highly efficient processes, but this change does not come without investment, both in time and money.

“Our Government is supporting the Foundation Industries to enable innovation and help create shared prosperity.

“No single organisation can enable a global shift in industrial practice, but Glass Futures has begun to show a new path to collaboratively pooling knowledge, resources, and effort.

“We sincerely thank all our members and supporters who are helping realise an ambitious and game changing facility.”

Leader of St Helens Borough Council, Councillor David Baines, said that given our proud heritage and history in glassmaking it is fitting that St Helens is fully involved in the future of the industry.

He said: “Glass Futures will see global innovation, training and research and development happen here in our borough, with the potential to drive further economic growth.

“We are delighted to see this vital project getting a further £15m in backing from UK Research and Innovation along with support from ourselves, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the glass industry to make this vision become a reality.

“This development will rejuvenate a brownfield site which has a history in glass manufacturing, and I am sure that Glass Futures will prove to be a catalyst for further investment in a place that has always been a world leader in the glass industry.”

Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said the project is “a prime example of how we can build on our strengths as a city region to drive our economic recovery”.

He said: “St Helens has always been a global leader in the glass industry and Glass Futures will be a key part of making sure it retains that role in the future of the industry as it decarbonises, whilst being a key driver for jobs and skills.”

Meanwhile, Network Space development director, Catherine Chilvers confirmed the company has been working with the council and Glass Futures “to progress the design and development of the project and establish a public/private partnership investment model”.

She said: “Glass Futures is a not-for-profit organisation that is committed to occupying this new 158,000 sq. ft global research and development facility on a brownfield site with deep rooted historic links to the glass industry, once again creating jobs in this important industry sector.

“Funding from UKRI is crucial and we are delighted that the scheme is attracting the attention and backing it deserves.

“The economic and growth impacts to the Liverpool City Region also should not be under estimated,” she concluded: “The primary focus of this facility is to advance Government and Industry led R&D activity and training opportunities to support innovation, knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and the transition of R&D to commercial applications. This grant brings that goal a step closer.”