The moment the giant 110-tonne chemical plant equipment arrived in Hartlepool as part of £15million investment programme

The huge boiler was transported under police escort to be installed at chemical giant Venator’s Greatham site.

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, totalling over £15million, highlights the firm'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 site on Tees Road.

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, through to office and admin colleagues.

The boiler, weighing 110 tonnes, had to be stripped down so it could be transported by low loader under police escort over three days, travelling along the M74, M6, A66, A678 and the A1185.

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

Venator, which has its global HQ at 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 at 24 facilities worldwide, Venator employs 400 workers at Greatham and 800 across the North East.

Marek Pawlak, Greatham site director, said: “We’re delighted to see our new state-of-the-art, high efficiency boilers arrive and be installed. It’s a fantastic sight to see, and great to witness a year of teamwork by our skilled colleagues come to fruition.

"This boiler installation project signifies major investment in Greatham and will help us deliver manufacturing resilience."