Tioxide Materials Limited has restarted production at its Greatham titanium dioxide (TiO₂) pigment facility in Hartlepool, marking a major step forward following LB Group’s acquisition of the site and its associated TiO₂ assets earlier this year.

 

Production is now underway, with the plant operating on a single stream and TIOXIDE and DELTIO products returning to the market.

 

The restart comes after four months of commissioning, testing and maintenance, with Tioxide’s engineering, operations and technical teams working together to prepare the facility for commercial production.

 

The company has begun a phased ramp-up, with a roadmap aimed at restoring the site to full manufacturing capacity by early 2027.

 

Karen Askwith, Managing Director at Tioxide, said: “Today is a landmark moment for Tioxide and a proud achievement for everyone involved in bringing the Greatham facility back into operation after it was idled in Q4 2025.

 

“Drawing on more than 50 years of manufacturing heritage, the site at Greatham has a proud history of producing high-quality TiO₂ pigments. This is an important step forward for our new business – but also for the local economy on Teesside, for the UK chemical sector and the wider TiO₂ industry. 

 

"The successful commencement showcases the skill, dedication and expertise of our employees, whose commitment has been instrumental in safely commissioning the site and establishing production, and I'd like to thank everyone on our team for their outstanding efforts."

 

He added: "I’d also like to acknowledge our suppliers for their support and our customers for their confidence throughout this process. With production now underway, our focus turns to delivering our ramp-up programme, stepping the site up to full manufacturing operations – safely and successfully – and ensuring our customers have access to a reliable and sustainable source of TiO₂ pigments for many years to come.”

 

The Greatham facility has a nameplate capacity of 150,000 tonnes of TiO₂ pigment per year.

 

Production is backed by scientists at Tioxide’s new research and development centre in Wynyard, while commercial and business support teams are based at the company’s headquarters in Stockton-on-Tees.

 

The restart is expected to strengthen the supply of TiO₂ pigments to customers worldwide as Tioxide works towards restoring the plant’s full manufacturing capability.