The Board of Directors of Tata Chemicals Europe Limited (TCEL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited has at its Board Meeting held on November 12, 2024 considered and approved the proposal of capital investment of £60 million (Rs. 655 crore) to build a 1, 80,000 tons per annum pharmaceutical grade sodium bicarbonate plant in Northwich, United Kingdom.

This new plant will triple TCEL's production capacity of pharmaceutical grade sodium bicarbonate in the UK. Further, as part of the restructuring operations to facilitate this investment, the Board of TCEL has approved the proposal to cease chemical production at its loss-making Lostock plant by the end of January 2025, subject to completion of employee consultation as required under local law.

The construction of the plant will commence in 2025 with first production expected to be in 2027. Using a patented process, the new plant will use carbon dioxide captured from energy generation emissions as a key raw material and will meet growing demand for high grade sodium bicarbonate from pharmaceutical manufacturers for use in medicines and hemodialysis.