Tata owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has officially opened its new “Engine Manufacturing Centre” in the English West Midlands.
The £500m facility, announced in September 2011, represents a significant step in JLR’s strategic investment programme and will see engines being produced in-house for the first time in a generation.
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Located near Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, the Engine Manufacturing Centre is home to the Ingenium engine family which will power a new generation of Jaguar Land Rover products designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK.
This starts with the 2.0-litre diesel, which rolls off the production line early next year, destined for the new Jaguar XE.
Commenting on the opening Dr. Ralf Speth said: “The Engine Manufacturing Centre represents all that is great about British engineering.
“Jaguar Land Rover is a business driven by design, technology and innovation and this investment and level of job creation is yet further evidence of our commitment to advancing the capability of the UK automotive sector and its supply chain.”
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By GlobalDataJLR says it is drawing on the expertise of 2,000 powertrain engineers who have been inspired by the company’s 70-year heritage in the design and development of iconic engines. These engineers, together with the new 1,400 strong team at the Engine Manufacturing Centre, will deliver the “next generation of highly efficient, ultra-low emission 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines”.
The 100,000 square metre facility, houses an engine-testing centre alongside manufacturing and assembly halls.
The facility is also home to the largest rooftop solar panel installation in the UK, comprising some 21,000 individual panels. JLR estimates that the panels will generate more than 30% of the plant’s energy requirements – providing the same amount of energy required to power 1,600 homes.
Commenting on the importance of the Engine Manufacturing Centre, Trevor Leeks, Operations Director at the site said: “Our new Engine Manufacturing Centre is an important step in advancing the competitiveness and capability of the UK automotive sector. The production of in-house engines will support the expansion of the UK supply chain providing critical mass for inward investment.”
