Pilkington UK opens new glass production line in St Helens

Pilkington UK opens new glass production line in St Helens

Press Release
01 Jul 2025

Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, part of the NSG Group, has launched a new glass production line at its Greengate Works site in St Helens as part of a multi-million-pound investment to safeguard the future of rolled texture glass manufacturing in the UK.

The new RP5 production line at Pilkington UK Greengate works

The new rolled glass production line manufactures Pilkington UK’s Texture by Pilkington glass range, featuring 21 original designs and textures used for privacy and style in interior design. 

Production of the range has moved to Greengate Works from nearby Watson Street Works, which stopped production last year after two centuries of pioneering glassmaking.

Moving the production of Texture by Pilkington will enable the company to save 15,000 tonnes of CO2e annually, with Pilkington UK now manufacturing all glass from one furnace in the town, instead of the two between Greengate Works and Watson Street Works. Pilkington UK are supporting the council with plans to transform the Watson Street site.

RP5 canal at Pilkington UK Greengate worksInvesting in the new line supports Pilkington UK’s wider sustainability goals, which include a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels and achieving net zero by 2050. The upgrade received £3.7 million in funding through the UK government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), which supports industrial decarbonisation efforts.

The new RP5 control room at Pilkington UK Greengate worksPilkington UK’s Greengate Works in St Helens continues to pioneer the future of glassmaking globally. In recent years, it’s hosted a number of global firsts in hydrogen-fired glass production, achieving key milestones in reducing emissions across the sector following the move to Greengate Works. 

 

* Based on a carbon saving of 15,000 tonnes of CO2 and the average CO2 emissions per car per year in the UK of 1.7 million grams (NimbleFins)


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