Venator Materials UK’s 150ktpy TiO2 pigment plant in Greatham is to be acquired by LB Group.

Venator Materials UK, part of UK-headquartered Venator Materials, announced in October that it had signed a purchase agreement for its Greatham, UK, site and associated titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment assets with LB Group of Jiaozuo, China. LB Group is the world’s largest producer of TiO2 pigment with a 1.5Mtpy capacity—accounting for 15% of the total global total.

The agreement follows the earlier September announcement that administrators from Alvarez & Marsal were appointed to Venator Materials, the top non-trading holding company in the Venator Group.

Although Venator noted that the 150ktpy chloride-route TiO2 pigment plant at Greatham was in the process of being idled due to “challenging market conditions” that had impacted financial performance, the company confirmed that LB Group remains committed to acquiring the site with the intention of restarting operations in the future.

Ms Ran Xu, Deputy Chair of LB Group, commented, “This agreement reflects LB Group’s strategic commitment to supporting European TiO2 customers and expanding its global footprint.”

Notably, the acquisition would give LB Group a foothold in Europe and further increase the company’s chloride-route production capacity. The completion of the sale is subject to regulatory approvals and several customary closing conditions.

Chinese TiO2 capacity and production have expanded substantially in recent years, with domestic output accounting for nearly 70% of the global total in 2024. Meanwhile, factors such as increased competition, rising costs, and a slowdown in pigment demand have impacted prices and profitability at some ex-China TiO2 pigment facilities.

Concerns about Chinese suppliers exporting materials at lower prices have led to multiple anti-dumping investigations, with investigations conducted in the European Union, Brazil, and India.

In July 2024, the European Commission (EC) imposed provisional ad valorem anti-dumping duties on TiO2 imports from China. Subsequently, in January 2025, the EC issued a final ruling, imposing tariffs on Chinese TiO2 imports ranging from €0.25/kg (US$0.29/kg) to €0.74/kg (US$0.85/kg). The duties will be in place for five years.