Salt Union
Established in 1888, the Salt Union was an amalgamation of 65 independent salt producers, whose works accounted for 90 per cent of British salt production, producing white salt and rock salt.
of Worcestershire Salt Works, Stoke Prior, near Bromsgrove
of Winsford and Runcorn, Cheshire. In 1888 there were 22 salt works in Winsford which became part of the Salt Union.
c.1852 The Winsford Mine was originally sunk by H. E. Falk
1889 The Salt Union acquired the Stoke Prior works from John Corbett
1890 The Winsford Mine was closed
The Salt Union also had works at Port Clarence, near Middlesbrough.
1911 Construction of vacuum brine evaporation plant at Weston Point
1911 Installed two 1500 kW 3000 rpm turbines at the Runcorn works. These were the first pass-out turbines made by British Westinghouse.[1]
1927 The development of the Mersey Power Co, a subsidiary undertaking of the Salt Union, Ltd., was dealt with by Mr. G. H. Cox in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the Salt Union at Liverpool. With additions that have only recently been completed, the power company's plant, which included three turbo alternators and seven boilers had a continuous load capacity of 24,000 kilowatts. With this plant it could produce up to 126,000,000 units a year, or more than double its total sales in 1926. Altogether, the distribution system had necessitated the provision of 161 miles of cables and forty-seven sub-stations. In 1926 the company's sales of current were 50,760,000 units, compared with 45,725,000 units in 1925, whilst the sales during the first month of this year were equivalent to 62,500,000 units a year. Mr. Cox claimed that the company was now in the front rank of modern power stations, both as regards cheapness of production and the sale of current at low prices. [2]
1928 The Winsford Mine was re-opened
By 1929 The Winsford Mine was one of only two salt mines in operation in Great Britain
1937 ICI acquired the Salt Union and along with other firms, became the Salt Group, later the Salt Division.[3]
Until 1960, the salt division had five works, Winsford, Weston Point, Stoke Prior, Stafford and Carrickfergus.