East Yorkshire-based
Ideal Heating has submitted plans for a new £10 million R&D facility at its UK headquarters. The UK Technology Centre will play a key role in developing and testing low-carbon heating solutions, such as air source heat pumps.
The ‘state of the art’ facility is planned for Ideal Heating’s site in Hull, where 70 people are currently employed in research and development (R&D) roles. The investment in industry-leading R&D facilities will enable that number to rise to 100 and underpin long-term employment at the site where 800 staff are based.
Ideal Heating is one of the UK manufacturing leaders in both the domestic and commercial heating markets and is investing heavily in low-carbon innovation and product development. The business is part of France-based
Groupe Atlantic.
A detailed planning application for the UK Technology Centre has been submitted to Hull City Council. Dependent on planning approval, construction is expected to begin this autumn, with the facility due to open in mid-2024. The proposed facility forms part of a wider £60 million investment programme by Ideal Heating, supported by Groupe Atlantic, across the Hull site to increase manufacturing and distribution capacity and accommodate heat pump production and warehousing.
The centre will help develop the solutions needed to decarbonise UK homes and supports the Government’s ambitious targets for heat pump deployment, which includes installing 600,000 heat pumps in domestic properties annually by 2028.
Phil Kent, R&D director for combustion at Ideal Heating, said: “Domestic and commercial heating providers have a vital role to play in reducing carbon emissions and combatting climate change. As the market leader, we are serious about playing our full part in meeting the challenge the UK faces in accelerating the adoption of heat pumps and other low-carbon solutions.
“There is no single solution to the challenge and it is clear that a mix of products and technologies will be needed. Our new UK Technology Centre will enable us to develop and deliver future heating solutions and make big strides forward in our ‘net zero’ journey.”
The 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 38,000ft
2, two-storey building will enable the team to simulate a range of scenarios and conditions to test new innovations and advancements.
The new centre will house test equipment and environmental chambers, simulating the range and extremes of climatic conditions to develop heat pumps for future manufacture at the company‘s Hull factory. These facilities can also be used to stress-test components and products, simulating lifespan in the space of just a few months. It will also include significant equipment to continue Ideal Heating’s pursuit of ‘best-in-class’ performance and reliability, including chambers to verify noise and vibration levels and extreme condition testing.
Helen Villamuera, Ideal Heating’s engineering director, is coordinating the investment and development programme at the Hull site. She said: “Since being acquired by Groupe Atlantic in 2015, Ideal Heating has remained a UK-leading manufacturer based in Hull and with other sites across the country. The huge investment being delivered across our main site, including in the new UK Technology Centre, underpins our position as a leader in the domestic and commercial heating markets and puts us at the forefront of the industry’s ‘net zero’ transition.
“Our roots in Hull date back over 100 years and we are investing now to position the business to thrive for generations to come. The new R&D centre is a key element of our development and growth strategy, in what is a rapidly-evolving heating industry.”
Ideal Heating is also investing in a new National Training and Technology Centre at Bridgehead Business Park in East Yorkshire, with a focus on low-carbon heating and upskilling thousands of boiler installers across the UK to supply heat pumps to customers.