Vaccine ingredient firm plans £31m expansion in Leek

The £31.8m expansion is to produce more lipids which are a key ingredient for mRNA vaccines

A chemical manufacturer is set to invest more than £30m to expand production of a key Covid vaccine ingredient.

Croda International said it would build a new facility at its site in Leek, Staffordshire, to produce lipids.

The molecules are central to vaccines such as the Covid mRNA ones produced by BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna.

The funds include £15.9m from the government which said the expansion would also create jobs.

Croda said it would match the funding from the government, with the money also being used to improve its labs in Leek.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the expansion would allow the production of an extra 3bn vaccine doses in Britain.

The investment in expanding the site in Leek, Staffordshire, would also mean new jobs, the government said