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New green boilers to secure 600 jobs
One of Preston's most famous firms will become a hub for new technology which could revolutionise the way our homes are heated and powered.
The Baxi manufacturing site on Club Street in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, will house a production line for the firm's latest product, the microCHP boiler which generates electricity while also heating the home.
Baxi UK chief executive Mark Kelly said production work would start this month, securing the jobs of 600 workers at the site.
He spoke on a panel with Energy Minister Malcolm Wickes at a fringe event at the Labour party conference this week and called on the government to make such sustainable home heating a part of every home.
He said: "We have a plant dedicated to this product coming online at our Preston site, it is only a small line to start with but it obviously provides security for our workers there.
"Experts would be based at Preston, with a lot of development and manufacturing for the UK market also done on site.
"There is a product here which can save a tonne of carbon per household. The industry, together with government, needs to be bold and decisive about how we use this product."
The microCHP boilers are trialled in some new build homes and are due to be available on the open market next year.
But, Mr Kelly believes the government should offer incentives for them to be installed in all homes through grants similar to those for solar panels.
The systems harness 'waste heat' from the boiler which can be turned into electricity to power the home. Mr Kelly told the meeting on Tuesday that finding ways to use the technology was vital if Britain was to hit targets of cutting carbon by 32% by 2020 and 60% by 2050.
Mr Kelly said: "By installing these boilers in new homes we scratch the surface of this problem. There are 20.9m homes in Britain with gas boilers which could be changed."
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
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