Explosive Demolition Brings Down Last Of Sinter Plant

The Sinter Plant that formed part of the former steelworks site has now been completely demolished in a second controlled explosion.

Around 8,500 tonnes of steel were brought down in the levelling, which included the remaining Screenhouse and strand parts of the facility – accounting for around 60% of the overall structure in its entirety. Only the nearby waste gas stack and two supporting structures now remain in the area.

Just after 7pm last night, Kevin Mcelvany who began work at British Steel in 1975 and was a former Plant Manager for the Sinter Plant, pressed the button to bring the building down.

The initial phase of demolition was carried out on 16 June, bringing down the Bunker Bay and first part of the Screenhouse.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The 50m high building is now completely down, another major change to the Teesworks landscape as we continue our accelerated demolition programme – the biggest and most complex demolition programme in the UK for a generation.

“Just a few days after I welcomed Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark to Teesworks, we’re seeing more of it in action. Net Zero Teesside Power is now due to sit directly on this land that the Sinter Plant previously occupied, bringing with it up to 5,500 jobs for generations to come.

“This world-first £1.5billion project, led by bp, will help drive forward the UK’s first decarbonised industrial cluster on the site, capturing up to two million tonnes of CO2 from the power plant alone, and storing it under the North Sea.”