Cash to reduce emissions at Kasai UK plant
Sunderland CouncilA £100,000 grant from the Business Growth Fund will help an automotive interior trim supplier reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.
Kasai UK will transition from the use of carbon-heavy adhesives to a solvent-free, water-based alternative at its Washington plant which it hopes will reduce emissions by about 100 to 120 tonnes per year.
In 2019 the company made a commitment to reduce its emissions by 30% by 2030 and it hopes the latest boost will get it to 27%.
Jill Usher, managing director of Kasai UK, said solvent-free adhesives had been trialled and been "a huge success".
She said: "We have had to invest significantly as a business, including the installation of new equipment and technology, so it is very much an investment into the future of the plant.
"The impact it will have on our staff will be huge as it will create a much cleaner, better working environment."
'Automotive powerhouse'
During 2025/26 the Business Growth Fund project was allocated £494,853 from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, managed by Sunderland City Council on behalf of the Sunderland Partnership.
Kasai UK was signposted to the grant by Sunderland City Council which has worked with the company since it arrived on Wearside in 1993.
Councillor Kevin Johnston, cabinet member for housing, business and regeneration at the council, said: "It is fantastic to see Kasai UK continuing to invest in its workforce and its Washington plant.
"Since the company was established in the UK in 1991, it has gone on to play a key role in helping establish the region as a global automotive powerhouse and this investment will hopefully see the company continue to play a key role in growing the industry for many years to come."
