Teesside Steelworks
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged with British Steel Redcar. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2012. |
Teesside Steelworks is a large steelworks located in Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire in England.
Located on the south bank of the River Tees close to the river's outfall onto the North Sea, the site's blast furnace is the second largest in Europe.[1]
History
Founded by Dorman Long in 1917, the steel produced was used to build structures including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Tyne Bridge and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Under the socialist plans of the post-Second World War Labour Party, in 1967 Dorman Long was absorbed into the newly created nationalised company, British Steel. After privatisation under Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party in 1988 to form British Steel PLC, in 1999 the company merged with Netherlands-based steel maker Koninklijke Hoogovens to form Corus Group. Corus utilised the site for Basic oxygen steelmaking, using iron produced at the company's Redcar blast furnace. In 2007, Corus was bought by Tata Steel .[2]
SSI: 2012-present
In light of the termination of a large contract in 2009, Tata stopped production and 1,700 jobs were lost at the plant.[3]
On 24 February 2011, the steelworks was purchased by Thai-based Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI).[4] On 15 April 2012 the plant was officially reopened. [5] On 18 September 2015, production was paused due to the decline in steel prices.[6] On 28 September 2015, the plant was "mothballed" amid poor steel trading conditions across the world and a drop in steel prices.[7]
Transport
The plant is served by British Steel Redcar railway station, which opened on 19 June 1978.[8] According to the SRA only 486 tickets to or from British Steel Redcar station were sold during 2004–05 as there is no public access to and from the station (it being located on Corus property) and it has a very limited service.
References
- ^ "Workers return as steelworks furnace is relit". BBC News – Business. BBC. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
- ^ "Teesside Steelworks For Sale". BBC News. BBC. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- ^ "2,000 face redundancy at English steelworks". Wikinews. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
- ^ "Teesside steel plant's £291m sale secures 700 jobs". BBC News Online. BBC. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
- ^ "Blast furnace at former Corus Redcar steel plant relit". BBC News Online. BBC. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "BBC News - SSI Redcar steel plant production 'paused'".
- ^ "BBC News - SSI Redcar steel plant mothballed, costing 1,700 jobs".
- ^ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 44. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
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