A fire broke at UPM Shotton Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) last night at 20.00hrs in an isolated part of the plant. The plant was immediately shut down and all MRF employees were evacuated safely.
UPM Shotton's Emergency Response Team responded with its own onsite fire appliance, and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the site and brought the fire under control by midnight, with fire crews departing at 1.30am.
It is thought that the initial site of the fire was in a waste residue holding bay. Fire investigation teams were on site and further investigations will be undertaken today as a matter of procedure and routine.
Mr David Ingham, General Manager, UPM Shotton said: "We are grateful to the emergency services who responded in a timely and professional manner to bring the situation under control.
He added: "Paper production is unaffected with no downtime. All other operations on site continue as normal. We will provide further updates as appropriate."
The UPM Shotton MRF sorts materials prior to recycling including paper, cardboard and other dry recyclate. It processes approximately 200,000 tonnes of material annually. It operates as a stand-alone facility within the UPM Shotton site.
UPM Shotton produces 100 per cent recycled newsprint and started operations in 1985. It directly employs 180 people with approximately 200 contract workers. It is part of UPM Paper ENA.
UPM Paper ENA
UPM Paper ENA (Europe and North America) is the world's leading producer of graphic papers, offering an extensive product range for advertising and publishing as well as home and office uses. The high performing papers and service concepts of UPM add value to our customers' businesses, while actively fulfilling demanding environmental and social responsibility criteria. With headquarters in Germany, UPM Paper ENA employs approximately 8,000 people. To learn more about UPM Paper ENA visit: www.upmpaper.com
UPM
Through the renewing of the bio and forest industries, UPM is building a sustainable future across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Paper ENA and UPM Plywood. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. We serve our customers worldwide. The group employs around 19,300 people and its annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. UPM shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM – The Biofore Company – www.upm.com