You may not realise that not all penguins come from cold places, in fact the Humboldt penguins originate from South America.  These penguins spend 75% of their lives gliding through the water, so it’s very important that it’s just right! Our salt is added to their pool and is essential to keep the penguins hydrated and allow them to maintain a stable body temperature. In the wild, Humboldt penguins face serious threats due to overfishing and the destruction of their natural habitat. The conservation work that Chester Zoo is doing is vital and so we feel privileged to be able to play a small but meaningful role within it.

Also, the timing couldn’t have been better as the zoo has just welcomed 10 new baby chicks to its Penguin Island habitat, but they don’t stay little for long as they will triple in size in the first three weeks of life.

In fact, Chester Zoo kindly invited a couple of our Salt team along to feed the penguins so we could see these amazing creatures up close. It served as an exciting opportunity to gain exclusive behind-the-scenes access while enjoying a face-to-face encounter with the penguins themselves.

The British Salt team break ground on exciting project for Cledford Primary School.

Our community is an integral part of who we are as a business and so giving back to them is really important to us. Some of the team from British Salt (BS) embarked on a project to make a breakout garden for Cledford Primary School situated just a stone’s throw from our BS site.

HR & Communications Manager Pauline was approached by Year 6 teacher Kate Marsland and headteacher Chris Adlington. She said of the project:

“Kate reached out to us and told us all about her plans for the breakout garden and we knew that we just had to be involved. A lot of our staff have connections with the school, so it just made sense. What’s more our friends at ADSS Ltd leant us a hand to prep the foundations.”

What’s the purpose of the breakout garden? The space will offer pupils a calm space away from the classroom, a quiet spot in nature for the kids to enjoy, complete with reading shed, wildlife area and sensory pathway.

After an initial site visit, the team, headed by Joe Evans Head of Site Operations and Pete Founds, Head of Engineering and Maintenance, worked closely with Kate and Chris to come up with the design and layout.

Pete said: “It’s great to be a part of this project and turn our hand to creating a garden for the kids. We’re looking forward to finishing it and the kids enjoying it!”

Kate added: “We’re really thankful to the team at British Salt for helping us bring our vision for this space to life. The breakout garden will be such an important resource for the children, and we’re excited to see it finally come to fruition.”

So far, the foundations have been laid, and the path is beginning to take shape. We’re excited to progress the project this year and will keep you all updated on our socials.

L-R Kate Marsland, Chris Adlington, Pete Founds, Joe Evans

We were so thrilled to receive over 50 applications from some amazing initiatives, schemes and projects from all over Cheshire! We’d love to have helped everyone but with the help of a specially selected panel made up of TCE employees we have managed to whittle the list down to 12 amazing projects.

What will winners of the community fund receive?

The applicants who have been successful will receive a grant of up to £500 and could even receive some handy TCE volunteers. As the fund was launched to celebrate the company’s 150-year anniversary, the panel also voted for a special Anniversary Winner. The team voted for the cause they felt most passion about supporting, and the selected scheme would walk away with a grant of £1,500.

Who is TCE supporting with their Community Fund?

The panel voted to support an array of local not-for-profits and initiatives, from those doing incredible work in mental health, to disability support groups, schemes supporting local women and projects for community schools.

1. Chapter Mental Health is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of people experiencing poor mental health in West Cheshire. They plan to use their grant to fund all important peer group support sessions for those living with mental health issues.
2. Motherwell Cheshire CIO – this not-for-profit does invaluable work supporting women and girls. From mental health support through counselling to supporting mums and running their community share hub, their mission is to encourage, inspire and empower women and girls to improve their mental health and challenge the associated stigma.
3. Cheshire Autism Practical Support support families throughout Cheshire with autism spectrum condition or Aspergers syndrome, whether diagnosed or not. They will use their funding from the Community Fund to provide STEM workshops for autistic and neurodivergent children from the ages of 5 to 18.
4. Down Syndrome Cheshire is an amazing charity which supports children and adults with Down syndrome, and their families. They were voted the Anniversary Winner and will use the £1,500 to fund volunteer coaches to run football sessions.
5. Snow Angels CIC is a social enterprise supporting older people to continue to live independently and keep well. They plan to use their grant for their weekly social club aimed at supporting older people with learning disabilities.
6. Disability Positive – a charity which provides services and opportunities to people living with disabilities and long-term health conditions, and their families. They plan to put their grant towards their Good Company scheme, a fully accessible social group where young adults (those over 18) can enjoy trips to the theatre, parties, cooking classes and sporting events.
7. Winsford Community Disabled Football Club are a wonderful team based in Winsford who welcome anyone living with a disability who has a passion for the beautiful game to come along and hone their skills. They are planning to purchase new equipment and run exciting new activities for all their members.
8. Let’s Farm – an amazing business who give young people aged 18 and over the opportunity to gain valuable employability skills on a working farm. The youngsters get hands on with everything from lambing to health checks and conservation, environmental and enrichment programmes. The grant will pay for a polytunnel where the young adults will learn to grow their own fruit and vegetables and even make simple meals.
9. Lostock Gralam Primary School, down the road from our Lostock works, plan to use their grant for building an all-weather field for the children to use at break times and for PE.
10. Northwich and District Youth Centre is used by a wide range of community groups, from kids’ clubs to disability support groups. Their grant will go towards fixing a leaking roof!
11. Winnington Park Ladies RFC are going to be using their grant to develop the women’s team, attract more players, book in more matches and further hone their skills on the pitch!
12. Green Uniform and Baby Bank – this Winsford not-for-profit organisation started off life in a local dinner lady’s home and has now expanded to help young families in the local community. As well as a uniform swap service, they run events and initiatives for local families and will be using their funding from the Community Fund to launch baby essentials packs for families who need support.

We’re really looking forward to seeing what these amazing causes can achieve with the help of the Community Fund and are excited to build long-lasting relationships with those doing excellent work in our communities. Keep your eyes peeled for updates from all our recipients soon!

For more information on the fund head to: https://tatachemicalseurope.com/our-community/community-fund/

Pauline Yould, HR and Communications Manager, pictured with ‘Class of the Year’ winners

As long-time advocates of STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in our local communities, we leapt at the chance to be a part of the Northwich Guardian’s annual Education Awards, sponsoring the Class of the Year category.

What are the Northwich Guardian Education Awards?

In a nutshell, the awards recognise the outstanding achievements of pupils, students and education providers who have overcome the odds or battled adversity to succeed, have excelled in their studies or played an active role in their school or community. This year TCE were proud to sponsor the Class of the Year award, which is for a class or team that have carried out outstanding work in the community or have who excelled in their studies or on a special project.

And the winner is…

The panel were inundated with nominations and after much deliberation Weaverham High School were named Class of the Year. The team produce, host and record a podcast, The Weaverham Way, where they discuss everything from mental health and wellbeing to arts and culture. They also have a regular segment, Weaverham Worries, where pupils are invited to anonymously share issues that are affecting them. Not only was this a project that added immense value to the students of Weaverham High School, but the team also displayed many qualities that we highly value at TCE: effective teamwork, strong communication, innovative thinking and impressive growth, as well as creating a project that serves their community.

Pauline Yould, HR and Communications Manager said of the awards: “Supporting the next generation has always been a huge focus for us here at TCE. From building bath bombs using TCE ingredients with local primary schools to challenging college students to decarbonise their schools, working with young people is just another way for us to give back to our local community. As a business who recognise the importance of working as a team, sponsoring the Class of the Year award was just a natural fit for us.”

Congratulations to the Weaverham Way team – we look forward to seeing what you do next! For more information on the awards and all the winners read more here:

https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/24061276.inspirational-winners-guardian-education-awards-2024/

This year is a big year for the Tata Chemicals Europe and British Salt family as it marks 150 years of chemical manufacturing in Northwich! Back in 1873 John Brunner and Ludwig Mond built Winnington Works in Northwich, and a year later the first soda ash was produced. We’re proud of our rich history, none of which would be possible without the amazing communities that grew up around our plants across West Cheshire.

To celebrate our 150 years and to thank the local communities that have been a key part of our history we have been busy behind the scenes on a really exciting project. We can finally announce that our Community Fund has now launched! The fund is our way of helping local communities beyond providing employment for people, products and services and is an opportunity for local community focused charities, educational bodies, not-for-profits and individuals to benefit from some financial support from TCE.

What exactly is the Community Fund?

Simply put, the Community Fund is our way of providing both financial support and hands-on help from TCE volunteers into local initiatives. Each organisation can apply for up to £500 to help fund community orientated projects, events or services.

Who can apply?

We are welcoming applications from the following:

• Registered charities
• Not-for-profits
• Educational bodies
• Organisations that support schools and colleges (especially in STEM)
• Individuals involved in raising funds for or in support of charitable or educational, environmental or societal benefit

Who can’t we help?

Sadly, we won’t be able to consider projects or work that has already taken place or applications from the excluded groups detailed in the schemes terms and conditions.

How can I apply?

Applying for funding couldn’t be simpler and you have until 31st January so get that application in!

Fill out this form and tell us all about you, what your organisation or initiative is all about and what you’re planning to use our funding for. Whether you’re prepping a fundraiser, planning a careers day or building a sensory garden we want to hear all about your project.

Fill in the form to apply: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6R9AX5WO_keBSCd9hMXDuKDrabX6vf5Hna4OzAjzEI1URURMUkkwR1I3SVdCWjFUM1hFWlNURlRMNy4u

How often can I apply?

You can only apply for funding once a year. However, if you’re initiative or business isn’t chosen then feel free to apply again!

Who do I contact if I have any questions?

Hopefully we’ve covered off most of your questions but if you’ve still got some lingering make sure you check out our Community Fund hub. Still got questions? Contact Pauline Yould on pyould@tatachemicals.com

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting STEM students, recently, we welcomed some bright-eyed, ambitious A-Level Chemistry students from some local schools and sixth form colleges to HQ.

The students from St Nicholas Catholic High School, Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College, Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College and Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College were challenged to come up with ideas to reduce their school’s carbon footprint.

Working in partnership with The Pledge Cheshire and Warrington, whose aim is to bridge the gap between education and the world of work, we asked the A-Level pupils to calculate the carbon footprint of their school or college, considering things such as lighting, heating and transport, and then come up with ideas on how they could reduce it. Some stand-out ideas included:

• Switching the schools paper supply (over half a million sheets) to paper made from limestone which has a far lower environmental impact.
• Educating younger students on the impact they can have on climate change through art workshops using recycled materials.
• Switching the school canteen to plates, which are washed and reused, rather than disposable trays.
• Reducing the amount of meat on the menu.
• Encouraging school bus companies to switch to electric vehicles.
• Installing smart radiator valves to control classroom temperatures.
• Raising awareness and changing behaviours to encourage students and staff to turn off lighting and heating and to recycle more.
• Changing the network settings to put computers into sleep mode more quickly.
• Planting trees on school grounds to improve biodiversity.
• Upgrading school buildings and windows to improve energy performance.
• Installing solar panels.
• Switching all of the school’s lights to LED bulbs.

As well as a visit to our ground-breaking carbon capture and utilisation plant, the students also listened to our MD Martin Ashcroft who discussed the practical applications of what they were learning. Abi Lee and Tom Murphy from our energy team also kindly gave up their time to inspire the students with their own individual career journeys.

THE RESULTS…

Our judging panel found it really hard to choose just one team as it was clear that so much thought and effort had gone into all four of the presentations. However, the judging panel decided that the team from Sir John Deane’s College had really hit the brief. Each member won a £50 Amazon voucher and everyone who took part got a £10 Amazon voucher.

Grainne Patterson, Learning & Development Manager, facilitated the whole day and said “It was so rewarding to see the students engaged in the topic and eager to learn more about our company and the opportunities available here at TCE. I was really impressed with their initial ideas which they came up with for their carbon footprint project and look forward to hearing all about their projects when they return next month to deliver their presentations.”

Martin Ashcroft, Managing Director of TCE said: “When we were asked to become part of the A-Level Carbon Footprint Project with our local A-Level Chemistry students we jumped at the opportunity, not least because we have been involved in our own journey to Net Zero for over 20 years.

“We were proud to be able to show the students our new Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) plant, and to hopefully give them some inspiration in coming up with their own ideas on reducing their school’s carbon footprint.”

Here at TCE we are committed to supporting local schools, encouraging STEM students and helping them to bring their curriculum to life. We’re excited to start planning more events and competitions for local students to get involved in. Watch this space!

TATA Chemicals Europe (“TCE”) has announced their sponsorship of St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice’s Twilight Walk event. The 10-kilometre torchlight walk will take place on 25th March in Delamere Forest and will raise valuable funds for the hospice that provides precious palliative care for local people.

When TCE were approached to use the Carbon Capture Plant (CCU) as a backdrop for the filming of a prime-time TV drama series, they couldn’t resist it as an opportunity raise funds for a good cause. As long-time supporter of St Luke’s, TCE have used the fee paid by the production company to cover all the costs relating to the hospice’s Twilight Walk event. The fee from filming, which saw crowds of cast and crew descend on Northwich for the day, adds to the total figure of £65,000 already raised by TCE for St Luke’s in recent times.

Phil Davies, General Counsel & Compliance Director says of the venture: “When we decided to support St Luke’s as our “Charity of the Year” a few years ago, we were struck by just how many of our people came forward to tell us about their personal experiences of the hospice. We didn’t need St Luke’s to tell us how amazing their work is – our own people came forward to share their stories of how the hospice as helped so many of them and their families during difficult moments. Our relationship with St Luke’s has grown over the years, and we are very proud to know many of the St Luke’s team, and to support their fantastic work. We have done lots of team challenges for and with St Luke’s, including the National Three Peaks, the Sandstone Trail, and the Cheshire Ring so we jumped at the chance to sponsor the Twilight Walk at Delamere, and get our boots on again for this amazing cause!”

L-R: Pauline Yould, Karen Lounds & Andy Bailey

Andy Bailey, Corporate Partnerships Manager for St Luke’s adds: “We’re delighted that Tata Chemicals Europe have agreed to be the exclusive sponsor of our Twilight Walk. By covering all of our costs to stage the event, it means that 100% of participants entry fees plus any donations they raise will go directly to our clinical team, allowing us to provide care and support to local people and their families at a time in their lives when they need it most.

Right now, we are prioritising our Hospice at Home service, which sees our nurses delivering care to our most vulnerable patients in the comfort of their own homes, and our Dementia Carers Workshops which are proving a real lifeline to families learning to manage and support a relative living with the condition. All of our services remain free of charge, and we can only do this with the help of local people and local businesses like Tata. Not only are Tata Chemicals Europe supporting the event financially, but staff are also helping to steward the course, run the raffle and of course many are taking part.”

Despite being part of a large global company, TCE has always taken an active role in supporting its local community. In fact, the organisation is set to announce a new community funding scheme, where twice a year local good causes can apply for a grant from the business.

The charity is close to the hearts of many at TCE and, as well as sponsoring the event, they are providing free head torches to every walker, hosting a raffle and even providing volunteers. The family event will see walkers enjoy a silent disco, s’mores cooked over firepits and more. All are welcome to take part.

For more information on the event or to sign up to take part head to: https://www.slhospice.co.uk/events/twilightwalk/

Find out more about the amazing work that St Luke’s do: https://www.slhospice.co.uk/

For more information about TCE: https://www.tatachemicalseurope.com/

Absorber column and stripper tower arrive onsite: bringing the potential to capture 20,000 cars’ worth of carbon emissions!
After several months of preparing the site for the installation of the Carbon Capture and Utilisation plant, the process equipment starting to arrive in early June marking an exciting milestone for the project. Designed in collaboration with Pentair Union Engineering, the capture process removes carbon dioxide from the mix of gases in the CHP flue emissions to produce concentrated carbon dioxide gas. The major vessels involved in this part of the process are the flue gas scrubber, the absorber column and the stripper tower.

Following seven weeks in transit by sea from the fabrication site in China, in early June the three major vessels arrived on site (shown in the picture on the top left). Capable of capturing and processing 115 tonnes per day of carbon dioxide – equivalent to the emissions of 20,000 cars – both the absorber column and stripper tower are tall vessels – 48m in the case of the absorber. It was therefore necessary to fabricate the vessels in sections and transport them horizontally. Having arrived at site the horizontal sections are being assembled by bolting and welding them together prior to installing the access ladders and platforms.

The first stage of the process is to cool and clean the incoming gas in the flue gas scrubber. The cleaned gas then goes into the absorber column where it is mixed with a liquid stream containing an amine-based fluid that reacts with and captures the carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide rich liquid is then pumped from the absorber to a stripper column, where steam from the CHP plant is used to heat the liquid. The heat causes the carbon dioxide to be released, leaving the stripper as a gas with a purity of greater than 99.9%.

Throughout June the remainder of the process units, such as the liquification and purification processes arrived on pre-assembled skids and are being stored in a warehouse until the site is ready. Another crucial aspect of the project is large diameter

ducting that will take the flue gas from the CHP plant and transport it to the inlet of the flue gas scrubber. Fabrication of this 1.5m diameter ducting is underway at Cullum Detuners in Derby. These significant items will be transported to site in late 2020 ready for assembly (shown in the photo on the right).

By the end July the final foundations have started to take shape and can be seen in the image on the bottom left. The image also shows the flue gas scrubber following installed in the foreground of the site. The two other major process vessels will be lifted into place in mid to late August or early September, transforming the appearance of the site. Given the size of these vessels, special lifting equipment is required as is good weather during the lift. The foundations for the liquefaction plant are now also well advanced.

Once the major vessels have been installed, the rest of the process equipment can be fitted and the pipework, electrical and control systems connected. This is now scheduled for Autumn 2020.

Projects Manager Stewart Prentice, said: “Seeing the process equipment start to arrive on the site gave the Project team a real boost. It has been challenging due to the pandemic, but this hasn’t dampened the teams’ enthusiasm and energy to complete the build which will enable the great environmental benefits of this exciting project to be realised.”

Tata Chemicals Europe have committed to sponsor a year of after-school Enrichment Club sessions for Barnton Community Primary School. The Club is provided by Passion for Learning, a local charity, free of charge to the children attending and aimed at providing fun learning experiences each week to build their knowledge of the wider world. Passion for Learning’s volunteer team are on hand to help each child make the most of the many activities on offer, from science to bakery, sports to crafts, drama to donkeys!
The link with Tata Chemicals Europe means that the Club has the opportunity to develop a particular focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) which gives the children plenty of opportunities to take part in hands-on activities to ignite their passion for these subjects. One particular activity involves the children pedalling a paint-spinner bike to create unique pieces of art with the help of centrifugal force.

Phil Davies, General Counsel and Director for Tata Chemicals Europe, commented:

“Tata Chemicals Europe is really delighted to be sponsoring and volunteering to help at this new Enrichment Club. Listening to the team from Passion for Learning talking about how their work has transformed the lives and dreams of some our local children was humbling and uplifting to hear and we wanted to help support this in our local community. If any Northwest businesses are looking for sponsorship, volunteering or employee engagement opportunities I would suggest you make contact with Passion for Learning to find out more.”

Diane Clark, CEO at Passion for Learning enthused about the project:

“Our partnership with Tata Chemicals Europe is a really exciting one, given our ongoing focus on helping the children we work with to identify the topics they enjoy and begin to develop their aspirations for future careers. In March we are again organising our huge Careers Palace. with a number of the organisations with whom we partner. This is aimed at giving as many children as possible the opportunity to learn about the vast potential range of jobs and industries open to them. Headteachers from the schools who participated in 2019 told us that the children all had an amazing time and haven’t stopped talking about it, which is exactly the sort of reaction we were hoping for.”

Alison Lawson, Headteacher at Barnton Community Primary concluded with the words:

“It is wonderful to have the Enrichment Club to provide unique opportunities for children at our school. We have high ambitions for all our pupils and are delighted to partner with Passion for Learning to help as many children as possible achieve their full potential. The sponsorship from Tata Chemicals Europe is fantastic and we look forward to developing our links with this business.”

For more information about Passion for Learning please contact Viv Couche, Trustee and Development Manager at Passion for Learning viv.couche@passion-for-learning.com or call 0151 356 8717.