An Explosive History
Chemical Industry in Billingham
When it comes to chemical industry on Teesside Wilton may be a bigger site, but Billingham came first.
In 1917 Billingham was selected to be the site of a new chemical works supplying ammonia for wartime explosives. By the time it was completed in 1920 the First World War had ended and the works were taken over by Brunner Mond and converted to manufacture ammonia-based fertilisers.
In 1926 Brunner Mond merged with another chemical manufacturer to become Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd - better known as ICI. This boosted the region's economy and the population of Billingham soared from 8,000 in 1921 to 18,000 in 1932.
During the Second World War Billingham manufactured high-performance aviation fuel and plastics, as well as housing a top-secret research team working on atomic bombs. Around 100 bombs fell on the site during the war but the plant was only completely out of action for three days.
Although ICI has broken up and sold off its Teesside plants over the last few years the chemical industry is still thriving in Billingham. Current tenants of the works include Frutarom, who produce flavours and fragrances and Oxy-wax, who specialise in coatings and corrosion inhibitors.
Submitted by: Sarah McLusky, 18 November 2003
