Sapa to reopen closed facility to supply aluminium for hybrid black cabs
Norwegian aluminium components producer Sapa is investing £9.6m to reopen the aluminium factory, which was shut in 2014, in Bedwas, Wales. The plant would supply lightweight aluminium for hybrid black cabs produced by the London Electrical Vehicle Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely.
Barnaby Struthers, Sapa’s business development manager in Britain, said, “Our plant is geared up to support the booming automotive industry in the UK and we see the trend absolutely continuing towards aluminium as a solution for their lightweighting challenges.”
“This was the first plant we had to sacrifice, but it is also the first one to be reopened,” John Thuestad, Sapa’s head of extrusions for Europe, told Reuters.
“The auto sector is only 15 percent of our (global) business, but it is currently driving the majority of our growth.”
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The London Electrical Vehicle Company opened a new car plant in Coventry to manufacture hybrid-electric TX5 taxis. The TX5 wpuld make wide use of aluminium to keep weight at an optimum level. The model will make use of a new lightweight aluminium structure and composite panelling.
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