Koppers Lambson - Long-term security

Dec 11 2006 By The Journal

Koppers Lambson is building a brighter future in the heart of Teesside. The company was formed 18 months ago after a deal was struck by Koppers UK to buy Yorkshire-based Lambson Speciality Chemicals.

The buy-out saw new facilities and staff transfer to Teesside.

And now an expanding range of services is being offered by the Port Clarence-based team, which employs around 75 people.

The new business has two distinct, yet complementary, segments - the processing of spent or waste acids and alkalis, and the trading of bulk chemical products.

Following the deal, key equipment was moved 70 miles north from Castleford to the Koppers's Port Clarence 90-acre, top-tier COMAH site.

This challenge was completed in April 2006 when the final process, glycerol recovery, became fully operational.

The new facilities at Port Clarence include a plant producing liquid ammonium sulphate, which uses spent, or waste, ammonia and sulphuric acid and has a capacity of over 100,000 tonnes per annum.

Andrew Wieloch, business manager with Koppers Lambson, said "We aim to achieve long-term partnerships with our customers, providing `cradle-to-grave' facilities."

"Essentially, we provide our clients with the chemicals they need and then handle spent materials at the back end of the process and this provides the best environmental and economic option for them."

Linked to the ammonium sulphate plant is an acid dilution facility, capable of creating 60,000 tonnes of acid a year.

The unit uses sulphuric acid from a number of UK sources who work exclusively with Koppers Lambson.

The company's final new plant is a 15,000-tonne per year glycerine recovery unit, where crude glycerol produced as a byproduct from soap manufacture and other industries is distilled using a thin film evaporator to provide a clean, food-grade product.

This unit has a potential link to biodiesel, an up-and-coming alternative fuel which is becoming a fast-growing industry on Teesside and which creates a significant volume of waste glycerol in its manufacture.

Meanwhile, Koppers Lambson's trading business revolves around bulk acids and alkalis.

The commercial team has more than 150 years experience in the business, averaging over 18 years per employee.

The Teesside operation forms part of the Koppers global business, with its headquarters based in Pittsburgh, USA. It is linked closely to the other European operations in Scunthorpe, Nyborg in Denmark and Szechin, Poland).

Koppers operates in 32 locations in the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and South Africa, employing more than 2,000 worldwide.

The origins of the Port Clarence site go back 130 years to when it supported an entire community involved in the steel and salt works, as well as coke ovens.

In 2000, Koppers took over the Port Clarence site, which also carries out tar distillation, from previous owners Bitmac.

"The tar industry has changed dramatically over the years," said Ralph Formstone, works manager at Port Clarence. "Our business is still involved in many traditional areas but you also have to change and adapt if you are to survive."

The deal with Lambson Specialty Chemicals allowed Koppers to diversify further. With relocation in Teesside complete, the team is now looking forward to growing and developing the business.

"There is a very exciting and challenging business plan aimed at the full utilisation of our assets, and value creation." added Mr Wieloch.

Koppers Lambson is working with companies across the UK and Europe and are expanding their activities throughout Eastern Europe, Russia and China.

Mr Formstone concluded: "The creation of Koppers Lambson has given the company long-term security. With such a large site here at Port Clarence we have plenty of room to grow and we have the infrastructure and the skills here on Teesside to develop our business."