Nissan's senior vice president for manufacturing, purchasing and supply chain management in Europe, Colin Lawther, said: "This fresh investment is a clear signal of our intent to continue leading in these key areas for the Nissan brand, with our crossover and electric vehicle success founded on the exceptional quality and delivery standards achieved by our workforce here in Sunderland."
Going into production in 2017, the new press line and panel storage area requires a building extension totalling 6,780m², taking the total built up space on site over 362,000m², the equivalent of more than 50 football pitches.
Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "This is tremendous news. Nissan Sunderland's record-breaking productivity and continued growth are key to the export strength of the UK car industry. The plant extension and new equipment at the Sunderland plant, ahead of the Infiniti production, underpin the company's leading position and reinforce Sunderland's aim to be the automotive hub of the UK."
To be built alongside the existing seven press lines in Sunderland, the new line will be the biggest at Sunderland and the first of its type in the Renault-Nissan Alliance, pressing panels with a total force of 5,200 tonnes.
Weighing approximately 2500 tonnes and 10.5m in height, a programme of engineering work is now under way ahead of the scheduled start of production in 2017, with a 6.5m deep 'pit' currently being excavated for the foundations.
The new press line will make larger panels for all the Nissan vehicles produced in Sunderland, and will also provide panels for two forthcoming compact Infiniti models, the Infiniti Q30 and Infiniti QX30.
Mike Hawes, CEO of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "This is great news for Nissan and its Sunderland workforce and follows more than £1 billion of fresh investment into UK vehicle production already announced this year."
He added: "UK automotive is experiencing a renaissance and continued investments like this will help Britain build on its growing reputation for low-carbon vehicle development. With commitment to both electric vehicles and crossovers, this is also an example of a manufacturer investing in two market segments which are seeing strong growth both in the UK and abroad."
Nissan is currently recruiting for 300 staff to support forthcoming new model launches. Click here for details.
