Fujifilm to close Derbyshire electronic materials site by December

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JAPANESE conglomerate Fujifilm is set to close its electronic materials manufacturing plant in Alfreton, Derbyshire by the end of the year, putting its entire workforce at risk of redundancy. 

The company first informed its 60 members of staff about the closure in January and said the decision was based on long-term financial performance and market conditions, including “changes in the local semiconductor industry”. Individual redundancy consultations will follow a phased approach while manufacturing, including sulphuric acid production, will gradually scale down over the course of the year. 

Fujifilm said they considered options to keep the site open through a “collective consultation” with employee representatives but that “none were viable in the long term”. 

The plant falls under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations and has experienced a number of safety incidents in recent years, the most recent being an unmonitored spill of flammable solvent last July. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) attributed the incident to “inadequate” control systems, which led to 1,700 L of ethoxy propanol spilling onto the factory floor overnight. 

Fujifilm acknowledged the plant’s safety record, saying this was a long-term issue that predated the plant, but that this did not contribute to the decision to close the facility. 

Hans Vloeberghs, president of Fujifilm Electronic Materials in Europe said the company’s priorities are “providing our full support to affected employees and working to minimise the impact of the change on the local community and our loyal customers.”