British Gypsum - New plasterboard plant beats expectations

British Gypsum’s new £65 million board plant at Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire, has despatched its first load of plasterboard almost two months ahead of expectations.
The new plant, which will increase British Gypsum’s total board capacity by around 20%, is crucial to meet the growing demand for higher performance, higher thickness plasterboards and is central to the company’s plans to meet the demands of the 2012 Olympic building programme.
Drawing on best practice from more than 40 BPB plasterboard plants worldwide, the Sherburn plant is one of the first to successfully achieve a ‘vertical’ start-up – a short –form commissioning programme, which has resulted in the plant operating at almost maximum planned capacity within only weeks of start-up.
According to Sherburn Plant Manager, Darren Wilson, The new plant has exceeded all expectations, with high quality board produced almost from the outset. “Customers in the M62 corridor area are therefore starting to receive supplies of Sherburn board ahead of our original schedule”.
The first load of 12.5mm Gyproc Wallboard from the new plant was delivered to SLBM Systems, of Leeds, the area’s largest independent drywall and insulation distributor, on the 6th March 2007. It was then delivered from SLBM’s depot to the nearby Redrow Homes West 12 development, at Wortley, where drylining contractor, B& K Leeds, will use the boards for wall and ceiling lining in the new apartment scheme.
New Plasterboard plant beats expectations
The first load of plasterboard from British Gypsum’s new £65 million board plant at Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire, about to leave the plant, almost two months ahead of expectations.
Photograph shows (left to right): Darren Maples, Divisional Director, SLBM Systems; Darren Wilson, Plant Manager, Sherburn; Steuart Killin, Managing Director, SLBM Systems; Mike Jones, Managing Director, British Gypsum; Jim Sisson, Operations Director, British Gypsum; Paul Makler, Merchant Manager, British Gypsum.
The new plant, which operates primarily using by-product desulphogypsum from the nearby Drax power station, has been designed to meet the very highest environmental and safety standards. Like the company’s other plants at East Leake, in Leicestershire, Kirkby Thore, in Cumbria, and Robertsbridge, in East Sussex, the new Sherburn plant has been designed to manufacture the full range of Gyproc standard and performance boards, giving British Gypsum total operational flexibility.
In addition to its manufacturing role, the Sherburn site will also become a fourth major stocking and distribution centre for the full range of British Gypsum boards, plasters and accessories, providing further enhancements in service to UK customers.

Email: paul.smith@bpb.com