Arup on board for Shotton Mill redevelopment

The built environment consultancy has been appointed by Eren Holdings to lead the £600m overhaul of Deeside’s Shotton Paper Mill.

Arup, supported by architect AHR, will work with the mill’s owner Eren Holdings to make realisable the Turkish company’s expansion plans, which it says could create 660 jobs.

Eren’s paper manufacturing subsidiary Modern Karton describes the project, which includes expansion of the current mill size, as transformational. The project is meant to be capable of recycling all wastepaper generated in Wales and producing up to 750,000 tonnes of cardboard each year.

The 148-acre site was acquired from UPM Shotton in May 2021. At its peak in the 1990s, the site employed more than 500 people but as newsprint declined production has fallen, and that number now stands at around 190.

A consultation was launched for the project in March this year. The same month saw Italian tissue producer ICT Group secure approval for a 700,000 sq ft facility within the former RAF Sealand site, also in Flintshire.

The Arup-led team will provide project management, design and engineering expertise for the project’s first phase, which is due to be fully operational in 2024.

Eren’s expansion will include a containerboard machine building, new warehouse and dispatch facilities, and a combined heat and power boiler building. Subsequent phases of the project will include a corrugated packaging factory and a tissue factory.

Shotton Paper Mill opened in 1983 and already plays a key role in the UK’s recycling infrastructure. Recycled paper and other recyclable materials, including household glass and plastics collected across the UK, are brought to the site for reprocessing.

Andy Pennigton, director at Arup, said: “This development will create one of the most technologically advanced paper mills in the world.

“It exemplifies what’s best in sustainable development, bringing significant investment and new jobs to the Deeside area – as well as significantly increasing recycling capacity for this part of the UK.”

Shotton Mill’s general manager Dan Johnson, said: “Shotton Mill and Modern Karton are delighted to have the expertise and experience of Arup leading the design of this development.

“Arup’s support of the design and implementation in the UK and Turkey was a key factor in choosing them as our partner. This is a very exciting time in the mill and we look forward to working with Arup to deliver a world-class manufacturing facility in North Wales.”

Director of AHR Gurminder Sanghera added: “AHR is delighted to collaborate with Arup to deliver this innovative facility for a client with sustainability principles embedded within its culture and production process.”

Arup and AHR have previously worked together on projects including Airbus’ Wing Integration Centre in Bristol and The Spine in Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, as well as Siemens’ new train manufacturing facility in Goole.