Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced to double the size of its Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) as part of a £450 million (Rs 4,430 crore) expansion programme. The expansion from the UK’s leading manufacturing investor is a clear signal of the company’s long-term commitment to Britain. The total investment in the site, which opened a year ago, now stands at £1 billion (Rs 9,843 crore).

The EMC is home to the high technology, low emission Ingenium engine – JLR’s first venture into in-house engine manufacturing in a generation. In 12 months, the Midland-based facility has moved from prototype production to full-scale manufacture with more than 50,000 engines coming off the production line.

The Ingenium engine launched initially in the Jaguar XE in April 2015 and was followed quickly by the Discovery Sport, both products accounting for sales of 65,800 in the year so far. Currently, the EMC supplies all three vehicle plants with engines which also power the Range Rover Evoque, all-new Jaguar XF and soon to be launched Jaguar F-Pace.

The latest phase in the development of the EMC will see the site increase its operational footprint to 2,00,000 sq m, thereby supporting the capacity uplift.

Commenting on the expansion, JLR CEO, Dr Ralf Speth said, “We are proud to be such a significant investor in advanced manufacturing in Britain and are excited by this expansion and the new jobs it will create.

“The Engine Manufacturing Centre is a strategically significant facility for Jaguar Land Rover. The decision to expand our operations at the site provides a clear signal of our commitment to meeting customer demand for cleaner and more efficient engines, whilst developing the skills and capability that Britain needs if it is to remain globally competitive,” he added.

The EMC expansion is expected to take the company’s global workforce to 40,000 employees by next year. In the 12 months since its opening, the EMC has seen its workforce reach 700 with further recruitment ongoing. The

The Engine Manufacturing Centre is one of Jaguar Land Rover’s four UK based manufacturing facilities. Together with its R&D centers in Coventry and Gaydon, the automaker has invested £11 billion in product creation and facilities.

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