Work has started on a project to build the world's largest corrugated cardboard manufacturing facility in Ellesmere Port.

Progroup, supported by Peel Logistics Property, has broken ground on the scheme to redevelop the former 45-acre Cabot Carbon site next to the M53. The proposed £75m, 327,976 sq ft Prowell plant will generate up to 5.4bn sq ft of cardboard each year when it becomes fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The operation will replace Prowell's current facility at Pioneer Business Park, which was also built by Peel. Prowell's ambition to have the world's most efficient and powerful corrugated sheet mega board plant will be further supported by space for an additional packaging park model facility of up to 468,230 sq ft, for which outline planning has been obtained.

Mr Jürgen Heindl, chief executive of Progroup, said: "There is a correlation between the timing of building a new plant in the UK and the impending Brexit. It sends a strong signal and shows that Progroup believes that the economy and the manufacturing sector in the United Kingdom will develop positively over the long term.

"From my perspective, manufacturing will become increasingly important as the British economy restructures after Brexit. For this to happen, the competitiveness of industry in general needs to be strengthened.

"Prowell is gearing up for this with the most efficient flagship plant in the industry and will adopt a 'low-cost, high-tech' strategy."

James Whittaker from Peel Logistics Property said: "It's fantastic that post the Brexit decision a European operator such as Prowell is committed to investing and expanding their operation in Ellesmere Port, giving manufacturing and the economy a huge boost in the region. Enabling works that includes remediation of the site and construction will progress in tandem to ensure we deliver this colossal facility by Q4 in 2018."

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