Latest investment secures energy production for British Salt

British Salt has unveiled a series of ground-breaking projects in its 50th anniversary year.

Among them is a £7.2m investment in a state-of-the-art energy-efficient boiler at its Middlewich site to generate heat and electricity for the firm’s 24-hour production process.

It is the largest single investment in the company since its inception.

Scheduled to become operational in March 2020 it will be key to the success of a secure energy supply for British Salt, which is owned by Indian conglomerate Tata.

The boiler plant project brings parent company Tata Chemicals Europe’s total investment in British Salt to £25m since 2015.

It follows a series of high-profile investments carried out throughout 2018 to ensure the company offers a comprehensive portfolio of 21st century-relevant high purity salt products for the long-term.

Projects delivered included the commissioning of a first new brine borehole in more than five years at its Warmingham brine fields and the replacement of one of the firm’s 37 tonne evaporation plant heat exchanger that is key to the plant’s six-stage evaporation process.

Replacement of the heat exchangers is carried out every 30 years, and it is a major and complex project.

British Salt also installed a new state-of-the-art high-speed pure dried vacuum (PDV) pack line in 2018, and upgraded the
packing facilities for its water treatment products.

The company has recently completed the fourth year in a five-year £5m investment programme designed to upgrade its brine purification plant, which plays a crucial role in ensuring that the salt is of the highest quality.

Ladan Iravanian, general manager, salt & sodium bicarbonate at Tata Chemicals Europe, said: “Our 50th anniversary year heralds a major milestone in our future-proofing plant investment initiative.

“Undoubtedly, 2018 was an exceptionally busy year for our business, as we continued to invest millions of pounds in our facilities to ensure that we’re in great shape to deliver for our customers over the next 50 years and beyond.

“However, 2019 will see further, unprecedented high-profile investment in the site and its people.

“Our Cheshire salt reserves will last for the next 300 years – so we have a strong resource base upon which to build a sustainable future.

“Looking ahead to the future at British Salt, we’ve also made great strides in terms of new product development. We’ve continued to innovate and meet the demands of the market by introducing new products.”

British Salt’s product range has many applications, ranging from its use as a vital ingredient in all types of food, as a critical chemical in water treatment and purification, and as an essential nutrient in animal feed.

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close