Ford to invest £181m in Bridgend engine plant

The investment will see the plant produce a range of all-new, technologically-advanced petrol engines

Ford is to invest £181 million at its Bridgend engine plant in South Wales to produce a range of all-new, technologically-advanced petrol engines.

The Welsh government is providing £14.7 million, with production planned to start in late 2018.

The new engines were designed and developed by teams at the Ford Dunton Technical Centre in Essex, as well as Ford’s Technical Centre in Merkenich Germany, and the Ford Research and Innovation Centre in Aachen, Germany.

Edwina Hart, Welsh economy minister, said: “Ford is a Welsh Anchor Company and the Bridgend Engine Plant plays a key role in the economy of South Wales. In a climate of stiff global competitiveness, we have been actively seeking to win a share of this investment for Wales and so we are delighted with today’s announcement.

“Ford’s decision to manufacture its new innovative engine here in Wales is a tribute to the reputation of the local management team and the quality and loyalty of the Welsh workforce and will safeguard more than 750 skilled Welsh jobs for many years.”

The plant currently produces 3,400 engines a day, equivalent to one every 24 seconds, for models including the Fiesta, B-MAX, Focus, C-MAX, Kuga and the Mondeo.

More than 19 million engines have been produced at the plant since it opened in 1980.