TATA Chemicals Europe has unveiled a £5.5 million steam turbine it says is one of the most efficient in the UK.

The turbine is housed at Tata’s Winnington CHP plant, which is now capable of providing energy for 200,000 households – an area the size of Liverpool.

The project - backed by a £2.5 million European Regional Growth Fund grant from the UK government - has taken two years to complete.

It will help to provide energy for Tata Chemicals Europe’s sites across Cheshire, businesses in the area and the National Grid.

The steam used to generate electricity is a by-product of industrial procedures at the Tata Chemicals plant.

The guests at the unveiling included Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs and Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans.

Mr Briggs said: "I am truly delighted that Tata is looking forward to a positive and long-term future here in Northwich.

“Tata Chemicals Europe can hold their heads up high among the best scientific contributors in Cheshire.

"Thank you Tata for being a truly long-term investor - what you have done here is important for local and national economies."

Mr Evans said: "Tata is the largest private employer in the country, and a huge employer in Cheshire.

“My constituency, Weaver Vale, is the gateway to the Northern Powerhouse, and this proves that is the case.

"It is very important to have companies investing in people. I am lucky to have Tata in my constituency and Northwich is lucky to have Tata in its town. I am proud as punch."

Tata Chemicals Ltd managing director R Mukundan: "Industry can be tough. I am often reminded of the line from Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities – ‘It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair’.

“We have had the support of our communities during the winters of despair and we want to thank you for being there during our spring of hope."

Tata Chemicals Europe managing director Martin Ashcroft said: "This is an incredibly proud moment for us and our future. Energy could not be more important for all our businesses.

“The installation of this steam turbine was one of our key objectives for the past three years.

“Along with the restructuring and stand-alone sodium bicarbonate plant, the steam turbine is fundamental to the ongoing success of our Northwich operations.”

The turbine takes high pressure steam from heat recovery boilers and reduces its pressure and temperature for use in Tata’s chemical plants, in so doing so producing electricity.

An estimated 12MW of electricity is expected to be produced on an ongoing basis and will be exported onto the National Grid, which will correspond to 100,000MW hours in a typical year.