Horncastle deal triggers £50m Yara investment
Caddick Construction will be main contractor on the UK’s largest speciality fertiliser manufacturing plant, kicking off phase two of the developer’s Ozone business park in Howden, East Yorkshire.
The building work, to be delivered by Caddick as part of a £28m contract, includes manufacturing plant, warehouses, and offices that will enable Yara to double production of its YaraVita speciality crop nutrition products and biostimulants.
The new facility will be close to 300,000 sq ft.
Virtually all the output from the plant will be exported to markets around the world, helping to meet a rising global demand for the products that help growers improve crop health and increase yields.
Phase one of the Ozone development, located less than a mile from Junction 37 of the M62, is home to global logistics businesses DPD and DHL, as well as baker Warburtons.
Tom Horncastle, managing director of the developer, said: “Ozone Business Park is one of the best located logistics hubs in the North East of England.
“Situated a stone’s throw from the M62 and with excellent links to the M18 and M1, it provides quick and easy access to the south, west, and north of the country. This is why the first phase of the development has been so popular with third party logistics providers.
“Yara’s decision to locate its new manufacturing plant here demonstrates the design flexibility Ozone Business Park can provide, including the high operational power requirements needed by Yara for their production lines.
“With the first plot now secured, we are expecting a lot of interest in the two remaining plots on phase two of Ozone Business Park.”
The Yara development has a total footprint of 295,669 sq ft and will include production, distribution and office facilities. A BREEAM rating of Very Good is the target.
Work on the main building is due to complete in summer 2024. This will be followed by an extensive plant and machinery fit-out period, with the production facility due to become operational by the end of 2025.
As part of the deal, the Horncastle Group procured planning and design for Yara, and is now acting as development manager on the project.
David Tomkinson, operations director of Yara UK and son of John Tomkinson, the founder of Phosyn, said: “What began in Yorkshire in 1967 as Phosyn, is set to stay in Yorkshire for the next exciting leg of the Yara journey.
“Yara was put in contact with Horncastle who had already completed a development of Ozone 1 Business Park at Howden and were in the process of planning Ozone 2.
“This opportunity presented enough land for Yara to realise its new Global YaraVita Plant, in addition it offered improved access to logistical networks. Horncastle assisted Yara in the design and civils of the new plant and will continue to support the development during its construction.”
Paul Dodsworth, Caddick Construction Group managing director, said: “Yara’s new manufacturing plant is not only important for the partners involved, ourselves included, but it is also vital to the region’s manufacturing industry and we’re very proud to be leading the delivery of a development that will boost the region’s industry, job market and economy.
“Understanding our client’s ambitions, their investments in research and development, and their production processes all underpin our appointment to the project, and we look forward to applying our manufacturing expertise to this truly exciting project on behalf of Yara International.”
