Showcasing our investments in a green future to Energy Minister Lord Callanan
We were delighted to welcome Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, to our Hull site as we showcased the huge investments we’re making in low carbon technologies.
We’ve been manufacturing many of the country’s best-selling boilers for over a century at our headquarters in Hull.
Now we’re undergoing a major transformation as we engineer the green heating solutions to support the UK’s drive to net zero.
On Friday 4th August, Energy Minister Lord Callanan visited our factory in Hull to mark the start of our heat pump production in the UK.
Our new heat pump production line forms part of a £60m investment programme at the site, which includes an expanded distribution hub, a research and development centre to pioneer the heating technologies of the future, and a heat pump manufacturing facility.
We’ve also invested £2.2m in our flagship training centre in East Yorkshire – one of the heating industry’s largest and best-equipped training facilities and where up to 5,000 installers every year can gain the skills to install and service heat pumps.
Lord Callanan officially opened our National Training and Technology Centre at Bridgehead business park in Hessle, as well as meeting members of our Expert Academy training team and installers undergoing heat pump training.
Our CEO, Shaun Edwards, said: “The transition to low carbon heating solutions including heat pumps is the biggest transformation in the business since we moved from coal to gas-fired boilers in the 1930s.
The major investments we’re making at our Hull site send out a very clear signal about our commitment to the net zero transition and to re-modelling our business to meet the needs of our customers today and into the future.
For decades the name Ideal has been associated with boilers and other market-leading heating products. With the start of heat pump production and the many other investments we’re making, we’re now pushing strongly forward with renewable technologies that will play an ever-growing role in heating the UK’s homes and commercial premises.”
Supported by our parent company Groupe Atlantic, a global heating industry leader, we’re leading the industry towards a greener future.
Lord Callanan’s visit was in recognition of the vital role we play in the heating industry’s green transition and our status as a major UK manufacturer and employer.
We have an 800-strong workforce in Hull – the majority in manufacturing roles – with a total of around 1,500 employed across the UK by Ideal Heating and our sister businesses.
On his arrival at our training facility, Lord Callanan addressed Ideal Heating staff and said: “Ideal Heating is by far the most advanced of the traditional gas boiler manufacturers and it’s great to see all the developments that are taking place in terms of manufacturing, production and training.
“Everyone at Ideal Heating is doing a fantastic job, so I’d like to say well done and keep it up.”
The developments at our sites in Hull and Hessle represent an investment of tens of millions of pounds in UK manufacturing, innovation, research and development, and training.
Jason Speedy, our Chief Operations Officer, said: “Backed by our parent company Groupe Atlantic, we’re excited to be investing massively in our site in Hull, and to establish our new training centre, as we diversify our product portfolio and continue to innovate new technologies.”
