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© Ibstock Plc. 2024
Atlas pathfinder factory
With our Atlas pathfinder factory moving from commissioning to production stage in the first half of 2024, we wanted a space on our website dedicated to sharing more details on this exciting project. You may be new to our site, so just to recap, in April 2021, we confirmed our intention to make a major investment in our Atlas factory, located in Walsall, West Midlands. It’s an important investment project for the Ibstock Group, with Atlas being selected as a ‘pathfinder factory’ on our journey to net zero. The factory plays a critical role in accelerating our ambition to reduce carbon by 40% by 2030 and be Net Zero operations by 2040.
Why is Atlas a pathfinder factory?
With sustainability and environmental frameworks continuing to evolve and the rapid growth in technological advancements continuing, we know we haven’t got all the answers yet. Atlas has therefore been selected as our pathfinder factory, so we can take a test, trial and learn approach, before scaling the right solutions across the wider Ibstock estate, as we play our part in addressing climate change. We are also collaborating with a range of external experts and partners to ensure we manufacture building materials and solutions fit for the future.
It's not just about the environment, our Atlas factory is also focusing on improving lives through our people recruitment, our training and development and through building strong community connections.
Joe Hudson, CEO for the Group commented, ‘‘I am delighted with the progress of the Atlas pathfinder factory - with production on track for 2024, following the period of commissioning. I am particularly excited to bring to market the UK’s first carbon neutral bricks, that will be externally verified. The new Atlas factory will produce significantly lower carbon emissions per product than the previous factory – estimated at 50%. This will be achieved through investment in a number of energy efficiency and heat optimisation technologies, as well as on site renewable electricity and a shift to electric mobile plant to name a few. As part of our ongoing commitment to use Atlas as our pathfinder project, we are already working on new solutions and technologies to reduce our carbon even further. Whilst this development work progresses, we will use high quality verified offsetting projects for any remaining carbon, covering scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions.’’
You can read more on our wider ESG 2030 strategy ambitions on our Sustainability page, which we published in April 2022, having significantly achieved a number of our initial 2025 sustainability roadmap targets ahead of time. The ESG 2030 strategy also outlines the Group’s journey to net zero.
Want to keep up to date with the latest Atlas developments?
Check back monthly, as WE WILL be releasing more details on our operational efficiencies and hearing directly from some of the proud people who have been connected to the project.
Atlas, it's happening! Some of our top operational efficiencies...
Once operational WE WILL be using heat from the brick kiln to feed our driers – meaning WE WILL recover energy and reduce carbon.
WE WILL design our bricks to optimise the use of clay which will reduce carbon emissions during firing and drying - while retaining all the qualities of clay brick! That’s keeping our products strong, thermally efficient, beautiful and long lasting.
WE WILL have a fully electric mobile fleet for all indoor trucks, with plans to expand this over time to cover the full fleet.
WE WILL use our very own EcoHabitat product range (bats, bees and bird boxes) as well as plant trees to further support biodiversity features on the site.
WE WILL have roof mounted solar panels as a source of renewable energy to reduce energy consumption.
WE WILL use rain water harvesting from our quarry for our process water needs. AND, as part of our ongoing pathfinder commitment, we are already working on new solutions to eliminate mains water usage completely over time.
Atlas, it’s happening! Our Proud People connected to the project
WE ARE recruiting for the Atlas pathfinder factory
Want to join our team and help shape the homes, places and spaces of Britain? View our latest vacancies. See more
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© Ibstock Plc. 2024
