Harvest from the sky - ICI Billingham Film Unit 1950s

This film from early 1950s, made by the former ICI Billingham Film Unit, tells the story of how the first UK factory to make synthetic fertiliser was built and run. It then goes on to tell the story of the growth of the Billingham chemicals complex in the Tees valley.
Detailed information is given how the process starts with coal, anhydrite and air, with rare archive footage of the original chemical processes and of the vast anhydrite mine underneath the Billingham complex.
The film provides a rare insight into the foundations of the UK chemical industry through the early part of the 20th century, and is a very good example of how chemical engineering, and chemical engineers, make a wide range of products to benefit society from a small number of raw materials.

[@billybraquemard1]

No mention here of the horrendous damage done to the health of the workforce and general public of the area nor of the pollution to the Tees and all pervading hideous stench from this hell hole.

[@fuccasound3897]

My grandfather worked at the Ammonia plant in Billingham in the 50's. (In fact i think he was plant manager, certainly everybody in who lived in what was known as old Billingham, around the green and up to the station knew him!)

[@drbartsworldofchemeng]

Wonderful. It was a truly groundbreaking endeavour - the memory of, and knowledge about, it needs to be kept alive!

[@daffyduk77]

I know there'd be aggressive ventilation going on, but having diesel trucks down there won't have done the workers' lungs much good, that's assuming the dust wasn't bad for them also

[@jackking5567]

And we gave the industry up!
The UK stands upon vast reserves of the ingredients needed for this process and yet politics ignores it, in favour of a futile future.

[@Intelwinsbigly]

Maybe its because we don't want our knobs rotting off

[@katanatherobocrux]

@@Intelwinsbiglymore than your knob buddy…

[@romanchomenko2912]

In the UK we need more nuclear power plants to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis a guarantee of energy 24/7 all year round. The number of reactors needed is around 50000MW so around 50 nuclear reactors the UK needs over 80000MW for its need. Hydrogen from nuclear plants costs around 9000 dollars a tonne. The ammonia production needed for the UK is 3 million tonnes a year so 540000 tonnes of hydrogen is needed and 3400MW of energy will be used .

[@daffyduk77]

Yes, nuclear energy is a wonderful thing, shame no method of safe disposal of the ultra-toxic waste products hasn't been discovered these last 80 years since Fermi's 1st reactor. "Leave the world a better place than you found it" - not any more

[@katanatherobocrux]

@@daffyduk77just use MOX fuel rods

[@daffyduk77]

@@katanatherobocrux there are increased security & safety concerns with MOX fuel (plutonium !!), the fact that only some reactors can actually use it, & then only as a minority component of the fuel ... and MOX reprocessing & production itself generates nuclear waste. So its overall contribution to making nuclear power sustainable from a waste POV is minimal. It is more a fig-leaf to prolong the undesirable & put off hard decisions. Only avoidance of nuclear is the sustainable long-term unless some real miracle awaits re: fusion power

[@katanatherobocrux]

@@daffyduk77 fusion power isn't gonna happen in our lifetime.
earth needs to suck it up and just reuse fuel.
ie, plutonium fueled PWR plants