As giant 110-ton chemical factory equipment arrived in Hartlepool as part of a £ 15million investment program

The enormous boiler was transported under police escort for installation at the site of chemical giant Venator in Greatham.

The boiler was transported from Barton, near Darlington, to Greatham, and installed at the chemical company’s site yesterday morning.

Venator said the major investment, totaling more than £ 15million, highlights the company’s commitment to manufacturing at the Greatham site and brings benefits to the local, regional and national economy.

This is one of four new boilers to be installed at the Tees Road site.

The project was planned over 12 months and was a huge team effort involving the site’s chemical, mechanical and process engineers, project managers, health and safety officers, technicians, down to colleagues from the site. office and administrative.

The boiler, weighing 110 tonnes, had to be dismantled to be transported in a low loader under police escort for three days, traveling on the M74, M6, A66, A678 and A1185.

Tees Road had to be closed temporarily to allow the low loader to reverse at the Greatham site.

Venator, with global headquarters in Wynyard on Teesside, is a leading chemical company dedicated to the development and manufacture of titanium dioxide pigments and performance products.

Its products are used in thousands of everyday items, including paints, plastics, inks and cosmetics.

Employing more than 4,300 people in 24 facilities around the world, Venator employs 400 people in Greatham and 800 in the North East.

Greatham Site Manager Marek Pawlak said: “We are delighted to see our new state of the art, high efficiency boilers arrive and be installed. It’s a fantastic sight to see, and it’s great to witness a year of teamwork from our skilled colleagues.

“This boiler installation project represents a major investment in Greatham and will help us ensure resiliency in manufacturing.”