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SAI Scottish Agricultural Industries Fertiliser manufacturers - Chemical Plant at Leith Docks |
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SAI |
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SAI History I visited the Scottish Agricultural Industries (SAI) plant at Leith Docks in August 1991, the year that the plant closed. It was due to be cleared SAI was founded around 1880. In the 1940s it merged with several other firms, and became a subsidiary of ICI (either then or later). The SAI plant at Leith Docks was last remaining SAI plant to operate in Scotland. However, its closure was announced on February 28, 1991. |
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Manufacture SAI manufactured: - phosphoric acid - sulphuric acid - nitric acid using: - sulphur from Mexico, Holland, France and elsewhere - phosphates from Russia, Senegal, Morocco and elsewhere. SAI reached a peak in 1984, then employing 2,000 workers in Scotland, including 340 in Edinburgh. The spheres in this photo were built to store ammonia. |
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Decommissioning At the time of my visit in 1992, there were only three SAI employees left in Edinburgh to decommission the plant, including Douglas Gillespie, seen standing in front of the plant in this photo. Douglas had worked for SAI since 1958. He helped to install both the previous nitric acid plant and the new nitric acid plant at Leith Docks The new nitric acid plant was described as 'state of the art'. It was only 4 years old and had worked well. The company hoped to sell it for further use in Southern Ireland. It was estimated that it would cost £8m to move the plant, as against £30m to build a new plant. |
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Reply 1. James Greig Edinburgh |
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Thank you to James Greig who wrote: |
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SAI in Leith "I came across the page about SAI in Leith ... but I couldn't see any mention of the large area of land that the SAI used to occupy in the 1960's. The Bell The front of the building faced onto Bowling Green Street. I can remember it well as a child as they used to have a bell at the front entrance. I remember, as kids, we used to try and hit the bell with stones to make it chime." James Greig, Edinburgh: June 24, 2014 |