Plasterboards
British Gypsum - New plasterboard plant beats expectations
British Gypsum’s new £65 million board plant at Sherburn-in-Elmet,
North Yorkshire, has despatched its first load of plasterboard
almost two months ahead of expectations.
The new plant, which will increase British Gypsum’s total board
capacity by around 20%, is crucial to meet the growing demand
for higher performance, higher thickness plasterboards and is
central to the company’s plans to meet the demands of the 2012
Olympic building programme.
Drawing on best practice from more than 40 BPB plasterboard
plants worldwide, the Sherburn plant is one of the first to
successfully achieve a ‘vertical’ start-up – a short –form
commissioning programme, which has resulted in the plant
operating at almost maximum planned capacity within only weeks
of start-up.
According to Sherburn Plant Manager, Darren Wilson, The new
plant has exceeded all expectations, with high quality board
produced almost from the outset. “Customers in the M62 corridor
area are therefore starting to receive supplies of Sherburn
board ahead of our original schedule”.
The first load of 12.5mm Gyproc Wallboard from the new plant was
delivered to SLBM Systems, of Leeds, the area’s largest
independent drywall and insulation distributor, on the 6th March
2007. It was then delivered from SLBM’s depot to the nearby
Redrow Homes West 12 development, at Wortley, where drylining
contractor, B& K Leeds, will use the boards for wall and ceiling
lining in the new apartment scheme.
New Plasterboard plant beats expectations
The first load of plasterboard from British Gypsum’s new £65
million board plant at Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire, about
to leave the plant, almost two months ahead of expectations.
Photograph shows (left to right): Darren Maples, Divisional
Director, SLBM Systems; Darren Wilson, Plant Manager, Sherburn;
Steuart Killin, Managing Director, SLBM Systems; Mike Jones,
Managing Director, British Gypsum; Jim Sisson, Operations
Director, British Gypsum; Paul Makler, Merchant Manager, British
Gypsum.
The new plant, which operates primarily using by-product
desulphogypsum from the nearby Drax power station, has been
designed to meet the very highest environmental and safety
standards. Like the company’s other plants at East Leake, in
Leicestershire, Kirkby Thore, in Cumbria, and Robertsbridge, in
East Sussex, the new Sherburn plant has been designed to
manufacture the full range of Gyproc standard and performance
boards, giving British Gypsum total operational flexibility.
In addition to its manufacturing role, the Sherburn site will
also become a fourth major stocking and distribution centre for
the full range of British Gypsum boards, plasters and
accessories, providing further enhancements in service to UK
customers.
Email: paul.smith@bpb.com