:Baglan Bay

In the 19th century, coal, tinplate and pottery were exported from Baglan Pill.The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008 In 1963 BP (trading as British Hydrocarbon Chemicals, Ltd.) opened petrochemical plants at Baglan Bay, partly to benefit from the proximity of the BP oil refinery at Llandarcy, which could supply feedstocks.

The plants produced 125,000 tons of petrochemicals during the first year of operation. The main products were ethylene (50-60,000 tons a year), ethylene dichloride (64,000 tons), propylene, butadiene (5000 tons), and isobutylene. Several other companies built chemical plants at Baglan Bay. Forth Chemicals (a joint subsidiary of Monsanto and BHC), had a styrene monomer plant within the BHC site. The petrochemicals complex produced alcohols, styrene, olefins, and benzene from the mid-1960s, and vinyl chloride monomer and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from the early 1970s. By 1968, BP Baglan Bay was one of the largest petrochemical sites in Europe, employing 2500 workers at its peak in 1974. Other companies with plants at Baglan Bay included W. R. Grace (polybutenes) and Pfizer.{{Cite journal|date=28 October 1963|title=Britain Gets New Petrochemicals Complex|journal=Chem. Eng. News|volume=41, 43|pages=112–3}}{{Cite web|last=Grace's Guide to British Industrial History|title=W. R. Grace|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/W._R._Grace|url-status=live|access-date=25 March 2021|website=Grace's Guide|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806080022/http://www.gracesguide.co.uk:80/W._R._Grace |archive-date=6 August 2016 }}

However, market changes led to the gradual closure of the facility between 1994 and 2004.[http://www.bpchemicals.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=198&contentId=2016585 BP Closes Final Manufacturing Plant at Baglan Bay] There were concerns about the incidence of cancer and mortality near the Baglan Bay petrochemical works.{{Cite journal|last=Sans|first=Susana etc|date=1995|title=Cancer incidence and mortality near the Baglan Bay petrochemical works, South Wales|journal=Occupational and Environmental Medicine|volume=52|issue=4 |pages=217–224|doi=10.1136/oem.52.4.217 |pmid=7795735 |pmc=1128198 }}

File:Baglan bay power station.jpg

Following the final closure of BP's Baglan Bay plant in 2004, the site was re-developed by BP, the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. Baglan Bay power station, a 500 MW combined cycle gas turbine power plant operated by GE Power Systems was built and the remainder of the land was earmarked for a {{convert|180|acre|km2|adj=on}} business park, the Baglan Energy Park. Businesses locating at the park benefit from low cost electrical energy from the power station.[http://www.wda.co.uk/index.cfm/swansea_bay_partnership_/sites/baglan_energy_park/en4402 Baglan Energy Park]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Several plots are now developed with tenants or with speculative office and industrial premises available to let. A paper mill, Intertissue, part of the Italian paper tissue manufacturing company Sofidel Group, was completed in September 2006. The Energy Park is also home to the Baglan Bay Innovation Center, the Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings (SPECIFIC) project, Hi-Lex Cable System Ltd, Remploy Ltd, Montagne Jeunesse,[http://www.npt.gov.uk/baglanenergypark/existing.cfm Baglan Energy Park – Existing Businesses] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904212125/http://www.npt.gov.uk/baglanenergypark/existing.cfm |date=2007-09-04 }} headquarters for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, and headquarters for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council's service response centre.[http://www.neath-porttalbot.gov.uk/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?id=2322 Press Releases – 26 April 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121061507/http://www.neath-porttalbot.gov.uk/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?id=2322 |date=21 November 2007 }}

New facilities are under construction for Shield Medicare Ltd (a subsidiary of US sanitation supply company Ecolab) and the University of Glamorgan’s Hydrogen research and demonstration centre.[http://www.npt.gov.uk/baglanenergypark/projects.cfm Baglan Energy Park – Projects Under Construction] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904122144/http://www.npt.gov.uk/baglanenergypark/projects.cfm |date=2007-09-04 }} Developer TCN UK is planning to develop a {{convert|57000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}. development called The Exchange which is expected to provide office space for 400 workers.[http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2008/08/05/400-job-office-development-scheme-for-port-talbot-91466-21466505/ 400 job office development scheme for Port Talbot - Wales Online 5 August 2008]

A wholly owned BP company, Abernedd Power Ltd, proposed a further two natural gas-fired power stations with a total generation capacity of 870 MW of electricity. The scheme reached the planning stage. Construction was due to start in 2010 to meet a projected shortfall in power generation capacity in the UK and Wales within the next 4 to 6 years. However, a revised plan for a smaller power station of 450 MW was approved. SSE now own the project and have submitted a variation to the plans to enable them to build an open cycle gas turbine power station.{{Cite web |url=http://sse.com/whatwedo/ourprojectsandassets/thermal/abernedd/ |title=Abernedd |access-date=2016-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923022627/http://sse.com/whatwedo/ourprojectsandassets/thermal/abernedd/ |archive-date=2016-09-23 |url-status=dead }} St. Modwen Properties acquired {{convert|1050|acre|km2}} of BP-owned land in April 2009 with a view to developing the land for employment-led purposes.[http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2009/04/08/st-modwen-to-transform-bp-site-at-baglan-bay-91466-23336147/ WalesOnline - St Modwen to transform BP site at Baglan Bay] Scottish and Southern Energy completed the acquisition of the Abernedd Power Company in May 2009.{{Cite web |title=SSE Internet |url=http://www.scottish-southern.co.uk/SSEInternet/index.aspx?id=19960&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetID=1366&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetType=1&TierSlicer1_TSMenuID=6 |website=www.scottish-southern.co.uk}}

• Jersey Marine Beach
• Baglan Bay power station
• Crymlyn Burrows
• Briton Ferry
• Baglan
• Sandfields

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080201082740/http://www.npt.gov.uk/baglanenergypark/ Baglan Energy Park]
• [http://www.baglanbay.com/ Baglan Bay]
• [https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2742371 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Baglan Bay and surrounding area]

{{Neath Port Talbot}}

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Category:Swansea Bay

Category:Communities in Neath Port Talbot