A MULTI-MILLION pound development at a Runcorn chemical plant is already impressing leading industrialists - a year before it is due to open.
Ineos Chlor has begun work on a new chlorine cellroom - a major investment that the company says shows its commitment to the town.
The cellroom, which is expected to become operational by the end of 2005, will also create hundreds of jobs over the next year during construction.
Already, leading figures from some of the company's best customers and sup-pliers including GlaxoSmithKline, Wessex Water, Huntsman, O'Hare Engineering and Intergen, have been given a sneak preview and offered positive feedback to Ineos bosses.
Steve Waugh, MD of O'Hare Engineering, said: 'It was very exciting to see so much activity at Runcorn Site and to learn of the scale of the investment the company is making in Halton. This is a very important project for Ineos that will provide economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally.
And Tom Crotty, chief executive officer of Ineos Chlor Ltd, said: 'It gives me great pride to see the start of work on our new cellroom, which forms a vital part of the overall investment we will be making at Runcorn Site over the next five years.
'We're investing some £390m at the site, which will help to underpin our business and secure the long term future for those who work here.'
He added: 'This is the single biggest investment ever made at Runcorn Site, and it is a clear sign of our continued commitment to Halton. By installing the latest technology we will further improve the site's environmental performance, which is a key benefit of the project.'
The new cellroom is to become the centrepiece of Ineos Chlor's programme of investment, alongside other developments at the site, including a new steam generating boiler near to the site of the old Weston point Power Station.
