The new EcoBlue engine production line at Ford’s Dagenham engine plant will reduce water and energy consumption by more than 50% compared with its predecessor.

Ford is targeting a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas per vehicle produced between 2010 and 2025 globally, and also wants to reduce the amount of water used per vehicle.

Dagenham engine plant is Ford’s largest diesel engine production facility globally, and produced the first EcoBlue diesel engine in April this year.

Linda Cash, vice president of Manufacturing at Ford of Europe, said: “Ford is using the latest technologies to ensure our all-new EcoBlue diesel engine production meets the highest standards for sustainability and makes a significant contribution to our global environmental targets.”

Water usage per engine will be among the lowest at any Ford manufacturing facility worldwide, delivering an anticipated annual saving of 17.5-million litres of water compared with 2011 – enough to fill seven Olympic-size swimming pools.

The reduction in the volume of coolant pumped around the facility also helps to significantly reduce energy usage by 70%.

A new LED lighting installation at Dagenham will further help reduce energy consumption by almost 750,000 kWh per year – roughly enough to power 7,500 houses for a week.

The all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBlue diesel engine will debut in the new Ford Transit and Transit Custom commercial vehicles. It features friction-reducing innovations that contribute to a 13 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency.

Production capacity will initially be up to 350,000 units per year – one engine produced every 30-seconds. By 2018 the factory is expected to produce an additional 150,000 units annually.