MGS makes five-figure solar investment

Specialist moulding firm MGS Technical Plastics has invested £43,000 in solar power for its Blackburn facilities.

The new 49kW solar panel unit will not only reduce the company's carbon footprint, but savings on energy bills should also see the system pay for itself within six years. It is designed to be upgraded, allowing MGS to add further capacity in the future.

The five-figure purchase is the latest environmentally-friendly initiative introduced by the Lancashire engineers.

The company has also switched 97 per cent of its lighting to low-energy bulbs, many of which are activated by motion sensors, significantly reducing its energy use.

Recent machinery purchases - of which the company has spent more than £1m in recent years - have also seen older, less efficient equipment replaced in favour of greener alternatives.

The new machines, for example, have servo drive motors which means the pump only runs when required, unlike previous models which the pump runs continuously. This can result in energy savings of around 40 per cent.

MGS has also implemented a recycling policy to ensure sprue is diverted from landfill wherever possible.

Neil Garrity, MGS manufacturing director, said: "It is important to take care of the environment around us for the local community and for future generations. "We are dedicated in reducing our carbon footprint through lower energy use, recycling and more efficient working practices."