Former Cleveland Bridge site chosen for £120m investment
Empty since 2021, the 29-acre Darlington site will become home to the UK’s first large-scale plastic film recycling plant.
Endolys will move into the 400,000 sq ft manufacturing facility and turn used film back into oil and gas, with the investment expected to create around 120 jobs.
The chemical recycling company has secured £60m for the first phase of the project, which will see six units with capacity to process 60,000 tonnes of shredded plastic film waste per year.
Phase two will see six more units with the same processing capability created, and is expected to cost around the same amount.
The 60,000 tonnes of shredded film waste will be turned into 40,000 tonnes of oil via pyrolysis, which is the process of thermal decomposition of the waste into oil.
Subject to planning approvals, phase one operations are expected to begin by the end of next year.
Located on Yarm Road, the site was formerly home to Cleveland Bridge Engineering, a British bridge works and structural steel contractor that went into administration in 2021.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “I’m pleased to see yet another investor recognising the wealth of local talent we have and choosing our region to do business and create new opportunities for local people.
Matt Vickers, MP for Stockton West, said: “This is fantastic news for Teesside. It means more jobs and opportunities for local people, the arrival of world-leading technology in our region, and the regeneration of the former Cleveland Bridge site.”
