New £24million Birchwood laboratory enters next development stage

Warringtonfire, which is the UK’s leading testing and certification provider, have announced that its new laboratory at Birchwood Technology Park is now at the ‘third fix stage’.

The project was announced in August last year and is set to expand capacity to meet an increase in demand for fire resistance testing of fire safety products.

Now, 10 months into the projected 17-month build programme, the 101,000 square foot building has four out of seven fire resistance testing furnaces installed.

“We are on track with our progress and are actually seven weeks ahead of schedule in terms of the furnaces themselves,” said Dafydd Llewelyn-Jones, project manager for Element Materials Technology group, which Warringtonfire is a part of.

“It is brilliant to see this project coming together.

“We have put a significant amount of money into making this laboratory truly one of the best in Europe, if not the world.”

One of the furnaces at the new Birchwood site (Image: Warringtonfire)

The laboratory, which is worth more than £24million, is set to open in January 2025.

The expansion represents an 80 per cent increase in testing capacity over Warringtonfire’s current site on Holmesfield Road near the town centre.

Warringtonfire is also committed to reducing the laboratory’s carbon footprint and is attempting to make the new site as environmentally friendly as possible.

“Our new laboratory will be the largest state-of-the-art fire testing and certification facility worldwide, and one of the most environmentally conscious too,” said Leigh Hill, director of Built Environment Europe.

“We have made substantial investments in procuring the most cutting-edge building service equipment available today, reinforcing our position as industry leader and ensuring sustainable operation for years to come.”