Tioxide, a subsidiary of China’s LB Group (Longbai Group), has restarted titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment production at its Greatham manufacturing site near Hartlepool, UK, it is reported.
The Greatham site, originally owned by Venator Materials UK, had been idled since the fourth quarter of 2025. LB Group signed an Asset Purchase Agreement in October 2025 and completed the acquisition on April 27, 2026. Following four months of commissioning and maintenance work, the plant restarted in single-stream operation, it is reported. The restart also marks the relaunch of the “Tioxide” and “Deltio” product brands, according to reports, though the specific pigment manufacturing process technology or licensor has not been disclosed.
LB Group, one of the world’s largest TiO2 producers with existing capacity of 1.51 million tonnes per year, is reported to have secured a European production base for coatings- and plastics-grade TiO2 pigments through this site and asset acquisition and restart.
Implications for Korea’s Industry
The move is cited as a reference point for Korea’s pigment and specialty chemical industry regarding the reshaping of the European TiO2 supply chain.
Attention is focused on whether the early-2027 target for reaching full operational capacity will be met, and on the restart’s impact on TiO2 supply volumes in the European market.