Ford deal secures UK plant jobs

A deal by US car manufacturer Ford to produce two new diesel engines, in conjunction with French car giant PSA Peugeot Citroen, has secured thousands of jobs at a UK plant.

The new 2.2-litre commercial diesel engine production line in Dagenham, Essex, will secure 2,300 jobs at the plant. The new 2.2-litre premium, high output diesel engines will be built at PSA Peugeot Citroen’s plant in Moselle.

The announcement of the new deal, which will see a £200 million investment from Ford, means that the Dagenham plant, alongside the factory in Bridgend, south Wales, will now produce one in four Ford engines distributed worldwide.

The Dagenham plant will produce 200,000 engines for the Ford Transit and Peugeot Citroen’s new light commercial vehicles.

The Moselle factory will manufacture engines for use in both companies medium to large executive vehicles, also at a rate of 200,000 per year.

The announcement marks the fourth phase in Ford and Peugeot Citroen’s diesel engine co-operation, which was initially launched in 1998.

Since then, more than four million diesel engines have been produced, making Ford and Peugeot Citroen jointly the world’s leading diesel engine makers.

(KMcA/SP)