Coca-Cola has been given the green light to produce nitrogen at its Wakefield factory.
The company plans to utilise the generated gas in soft drink production, which will also lead to a reduction in the number of delivery lorries visiting the site. Wakefield Council has given its approval for the project, which involves installing a generation plant, including four 3.5m-high tanks, adjacent to the factory at Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate in Outwood.
A statement on behalf of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) said: "As part of the manufacturing process, CCEP use nitrogen which is delivered by tankers to the site from external suppliers.
"The proposed nitrogen generation plant will reduce the number of deliveries, with obvious environmental and cost benefits.
"The proposed plant will incorporate sophisticated systems for the detection and warning of nitrogen leaks.
"The location of the plant is within the existing site boundary, which is a fully fenced site with 24 hour operation, with access only via a security office.
"No additional measures are considered necessary."
However, two nearby residents objected to the application, submitted in January, citing concerns that the building is an "eyesore" and complaining of "constant noise" from the factory.
Approving the proposal, a planning officer's report said: "Due to the siting, positioning, size and scale of the proposal it is considered not to have significant impact on the amenities of other surrounding residential properties.
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"The scheme is needed to improve the manufacturing process on the site and the principle of development is acceptable."
The expansive West Yorkshire factory, commencing operations back in 1989, holds the title as Europe's largest soft drinks facility. It boasts around 500 staff members and is responsible for concocting roughly one third of the beverages the corporation dispenses in the UK.
Covering an area comparable to 15 football pitches, this plant has an impressive production rate of 420,000 cans each hour. Notable brands such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Monster and Relentless are among the products manufactured here.
In a recent move during September 2023, CCEP declared a £31m investment at its Wakefield manufacturing site. At that juncture, the company had shared its aspirations for the installation of a novel canning line, projected to be fully functional by 2024 with the capability of outputting 2,000 cans a minute.
Furthermore, infrastructure enhancements were on the agenda, aimed at gearing the factory up for "future innovations" onsite.
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