West Thurrock celebrates 100 years of supporting customers across Europe
As Imerys West Thurrock marks its centenary, the site continues to deliver high-performance calcium aluminate solutions that help customers meet demanding construction, infrastructure and industrial challenges.
For 100 years, our West Thurrock site in the UK has been manufacturing specialty calcium aluminate products that support customers across a wide range of industries.
Today, the Essex site is the largest sintered calcium aluminate plant in Europe and supplies customers in more than 20 countries, serving markets including building chemistry, infrastructure, refractories, metallurgy and mining.
Calcium aluminate products for construction and industry
The site's products are used in applications that many people encounter every day. From tile adhesives and specialist mortars to wastewater infrastructure and high-temperature industrial processes, West Thurrock's calcium aluminate binders help deliver durability, performance and reliability in demanding environments.
A key part of the Imerys Aluminates network, West Thurrock combines manufacturing expertise with a strategic location on the River Thames, supporting efficient distribution across the UK, Europe and international markets. The site produces a portfolio of well-established brands, including Ciment FONDU®, SECAR®, TERNAL® and FONDAG®, which are trusted by customers around the world.
Innovation driving construction product development
Innovation continues to play an important role in the site's success. Recent investments have supported the development of new products and expanded production capabilities, including a powder blending facility that enables tailored solutions for customers in the construction sector.
These innovations help address evolving market needs while maintaining the quality and performance standards customers expect.
Building Chemistry Director Tony Newton says: “2026 sees ongoing development in products and services for our customers. This includes solutions to offset shrinkage in cement and powder blending for ready-mixed concrete. Most important, however, is the competence, motivation and agility of the West Thurrock team to manage this evolution of Imerys markets.”
What truly distinguishes Imerys in the marketplace is our ability to deliver robust, application-specific answers right to the customer's doorstep. Solutions like Ternal® Xpand D20 give European formulators a highly reliable, high-performance local alternative. Because it is manufactured entirely at West Thurrock, our clients benefit from absolute supply chain security and immediate regional availability with zero CBAM administrative complexity. We don't just supply raw minerals; backed by our global Imerys Technical Centers, we co-engineer the exact performance criteria our clients need to reduce jobsite risks and minimize lifelong structural maintenance costs.
Expert manufacturing backed by quality standards
Behind every product is a highly experienced team. West Thurrock's employees bring decades of manufacturing, technical and operational expertise, supported by rigorous quality controls throughout the production process. The site is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards, reflecting its commitment to quality, environmental performance and health and safety.
The site also continues to invest in responsible operations. Environmental initiatives include the use of HVO fuel for forklift trucks, EV charging infrastructure and biodiversity projects that support local wildlife, including a resident family of peregrine falcons.
Over the decades, our site has seen so much change, adapting to new processing technologies and navigating major market transitions. Through all these chapters, the bedrock of our success has been the generational know-how of our people, with many team members dedicating over 20 to 42 years to perfecting our chemistry. For our customers, this deep operational continuity translates into absolute product consistency and peerless technical troubleshooting. Having committed, long-serving experts overseeing our kilns and mills means we understand our customers' processing demands inside and out, ensuring we remain a trusted partner for the next century.
Image  | Celebrating 100 years of manufacturing excellenceIn June, the site’s centenary was marked with a dedicated B2B customer event featuring technical plant tours and an evening reception, followed by an employee family day. These events celebrated both West Thurrock's industrial legacy and the collaborative relationships that drove it forward. As West Thurrock enters its second century of operations, it remains strictly focused on fueling customer success with sustainable, world-class mineral solutions. |
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