Mitsubishi Electric announces 400+ redundancies
4th September 2024
UK: More than 430 workers at the Mitsubishi Electric plant in Livingston face redundancy as a result of the downturn in heat pump demand in Europe.
According to local press reports, staff were told of 436 pending redundancies on Tuesday. A letter to staff said the firm had “recently experienced a deterioration in demand due to market conditions in Mainland Europe.”
A Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Systems Europe spokesperson told The Herald: “Despite seeing some growth in the UK market, the majority of our production at the site has been for mainland Europe, where there has been a widespread downturn in demand. This has led to the extremely difficult decision to begin the consultation process.”
The company insisted that it remained committed to the facility in Livingston and the manufacturing of heat pumps there, adding that it did not anticipate any effect on deliveries or supply.
Established in 1993 to produce air conditioners for the European market, the Livingston facility has been the centre for the manufacture of Ecodan air-source and ground-source heat pumps since 2009. It currently employs over 1,600 people
The company announced a £15.3m investment in the factory in 2021 with the aim of boosting its heat pump productivity, efficiency and R&D capabilities. Scottish Enterprise provided a wide package of support, including £1.8m of grant funding.
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