ELLESMERE Port’s Vauxhall plant will introduce a third shift by the middle of next year, the motor manufacturer said today.

Leaders of the new Opel/Vauxhall business mapped out the future for the European car maker at a press conference in Germany this morning.

They confirmed the loss of 8,300 jobs, mostly in mainland Europe, as part of the restructuring plan and outlined the future for their plants.

Reinhold Hoben, executive director manufacturing, confirmed the closure of the Antwerp site in Belgium and added: “Ellesmere Port will continue to produce the new Astra and we will add a third shift mid next year.”

He said Ellesmere Port’s sister site in Luton will continue van production until 2013 when the company will investigate new business opportunities for the plant thereafter.

Chief executive Nick Reilly, a former Ellesmere Port plant director, announced a planned investment of 11 billion euros over the next five years, including the launch of 12 new models over the next two years.

He also said that the company’s plan envisages it breaking even next year and making a “decent profit” by 2012.

No decision has yet been made on where the Ampera electric vehicle will be made in Europe. Mr Hoben said because it is a “modular concept” it can be built in any European plant.

But Ellesmere Port has already staked a claim to build the car in addition to the Astra and Business Secretary Peter Mandelson has indicated that government funding could be made available to support production at the Cheshire site.