Plans approved for £12.5m Ideal Heating R&D facility to drive low carbon technologies

Ideal Heating has received the green light to establish a new £12.5m research and development facility to support low carbon technologies including heat pumps.

Hull City Council has granted full planning permission for the UK Technology Centre at Ideal Heating’s headquarters site in the city.

The R&D facility will create a testbed for product development and advancements in the heating solutions to help decarbonise UK homes and business premises.

The state-of-the-art facility, at Ideal Heating’s site at National Avenue in Hull, will see the UK market leader expand its R&D team.

It represents a significant investment from Ideal Heating and will play key role in the company’s transition to low carbon heating solutions including heat pumps.

Construction of the UK Technology Centre is expected to begin this October and is due be completed in late 2024. The R&D centre is set to be operational in early 2025.

Ideal Heating Engineering Director

Helen Villamuera said:

“Our UK Technology Centre is part of a major £60m investment we’re making in our Hull site, to support heat pump manufacturing, distribution and innovation in heating technologies.

“From the outset, Hull City Council has been fully supportive of our plans, which will create highly skilled jobs in the city and expand our existing R&D capabilities.

“We’re delighted to have secured full planning permission for the UK Technology Centre. We will now begin a competitive tender process to appoint a contractor to deliver this project.”

The two-storey building, with an additional partial storey to accommodate plant rooms for the centre, will help to develop and refine the low carbon heating technologies, including heat pumps, needed to decarbonise UK’s 25 million homes.

The Government has set ambitious targets for head pump deployment, including for 600,000 heat pumps to be installed in domestic properties annually by 2028.

The UK Technology Centre will provide a purpose-designed new home for Ideal Heating’s expert R&D team, which has an increasing range of engineering roles related to design, development, electronics, simulation and product testing disciplines.

Laboratory facilities within the 38,000 sq ft (3,500 sq m) building will enable Ideal Heating’s R&D team to simulate a range of scenarios and conditions to test new innovations and advancements.

The R&D facility is one of a series of major investments from Ideal Heating at its Hull site. Construction work has been completed on a heat pump production facility and expanded distribution centre, totalling £20m of investment. Ideal Heating also announced recently it had started producing its new monobloc heat pump, Logic Air, in Hull as the company supports the rollout of renewable heating products.

Ideal Heating has also opened a £2.2m National Training and Technology Centre in Hessle, on the outskirts of Hull, with capacity for up to 5,000 installers every year to learn the skills needed to supply and maintain heat pumps.

Steel Stockholders and suppliers of structural sections and structural hollow sections

Rainham Steel proudly stands as proof to a remarkable five-decade commitment to the construction industry. Amid the celebrations of its 50-year anniversary, the company takes a reflective pause to look back on a journey that commenced in 1973. Rooted in constant values of customer satisfaction, technological progress, and environmental responsibility, Rainham Steel has risen to become an industry leader in the realm of supplying and delivering quality constructional steel products. Its reputation for excellence extends from its distribution hubs in North Lincolnshire and London, providing nationwide coverage to the construction industry.

A Tradition of Excellence: Meeting Customer Expectations: Rainham Steel’s foundation was built on delivering products that exceed customer expectations. Specializing in the supply of Universal Beams, Universal Columns, Channels, Angles, Large Flats, and Structural Hollow Sections, the company has established itself as a trusted partner for major Steel Fabricators, Stockholders, Construction Companies, Civil Engineers, and Builders Merchants. Rainham Steel’s commitment to timely supply and delivery remains unwavering, ensuring that each project’s needs are met with precision, reliability, and value.

For approximately three decades, Rainham Steel has also been running a reinforcement processing facility at its headquarters in Rainham, Essex catering to the construction sector in both London and the wider Southeast of England. Just two years ago, the company transitioned to a new 10-acre head office development site, with a £10 million investment.

Pioneering Infrastructure: A Network of Growth: With a strategic vision in mind, in 2002, Rainham Steel positioned itself in North Lincolnshire, and with constant investment, now boasts four expansive sites in and around the Scunthorpe area. These locations were handpicked for their central accessibility to the entire UK and proximity to crucial dock facilities for seamless imports and exports. Covering over 120 acres, Rainham Steel’s sites feature state-of-the-art warehouse facilities spanning more than 300,000 sqft. The company’s recent investment of over £5 million in advanced steel processing machinery showcases its commitment to innovation and efficiency.

Trailblazing Progress: Embracing Sustainability: Rainham Steel’s journey is not just marked by milestones but also by its resolute dedication to sustainability. With an annual turnover exceeding £250 million and a team of over 200 across all locations, the company operates with a fleet of more than 50 HGV vehicles, streamlining deliveries and minimizing environmental impact. At any time, holding over 150,000 tonnes of products in stock across its UK sites, Rainham Steel has embraced the future with a recent addition to its stock range - the CELSA ultra-low carbon ‘Green Steel,’ aligning its practices with the evolving demands of eco-conscious construction.

A Vision Beyond: Anticipating the Future: As Rainham Steel gears up for the launch of its Althorpe facility, expansion plans are already underway for a purpose-built 200,000 sqft facility at the new site. With production scheduled to commence early next year, the site is poised to produce an impressive 50,000 tonnes of reinforcement annually. Bolstered by ongoing operator training, this expansion is expected to create over 60 local jobs. With a constant forward-looking approach, Rainham Steel is set to channel a further £15 million in investment into its growth plans in the next two years, underscoring its commitment to both pioneering solutions and sustainability.

Investment for Tomorrow: A Vision of Growth: The story of Rainham Steel is one of perpetual development. With over £40 million already invested in developing the North Lincolnshire sites, the company’s ambitious plans continue to evolve. Francis Micallef, Operations Director, details the development of a reinforcement processing hub on the banks of the River Trent at Althorpe which is to open in September. This 17-acre storage facility, purchased in March 2023 at a cost of £2.7 million, has been transformed into a state-of-the-art reinforcement processing facility, with a further investment of £3.5 million in cutting edge technology, including processing machines, cranes, and other plant. He goes on to say how the project was accomplished in a mere five months and again demonstrates Rainham Steel’s enduring commitment to innovation and progress, as well as the company’s long-term growth plans in Scunthorpe and the North Lincolnshire region.

As Rainham Steel marks its five-decade anniversary its story is one of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. From its humble beginnings in 1973 to its current position as a leading innovator in the UK steel industry, Rainham Steel stands as a symbol of growth, adaptability, and environmental responsibility. With its sights firmly set on the future, Rainham Steel is poised to continue shaping the construction landscape, with its unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and value.

For further information visit www.rainhamsteel.co.uk