All through the long hot summer, groundworks continued at Port Talbot in preparation for EAF steelmaking. By mid-August, 1,400 piles were in place at key locations, including the melt shop (pictured) and pickle line.
While the construction focus has been at or below ground level, we have also steadily notched up milestones towards the time when the new facilities will start to rise up into the Port Talbot skyline.
At the pickle line, the transition from demolition and enabling works into the main construction phase was marked by the appointment of South Wales-based Morganstone. They will be responsible for the structural and civil works of the process section. With a large amount of steelwork to be installed on the new foundations, this part of the line is critical to the overall installation. The steelwork will support the new pickling and rinse tanks, which are used to remove the scale that forms on the steel by submerging it in hydrochloric acid.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the site, we have put in place a significant piece of the giant jigsaw in our caster refurbishment programme. In a complex technical operation at massive scale, involving ten weeks of preparation, a four-metre wide, 200-tonne bearing was lifted into place at the Caster 1 turret. Executing the demanding lift and installation took two weeks. Again, it was all carried out by local contractors.
We have now seen the first deliveries of new equipment to site. The arrival of four large lorry-loads for the EAF water treatment plant and the pickle line signify a turning point. By mid autumn, consignments will be coming thick and fast, and the kit arriving bigger and better!
The team is now working on the remaining civil and structural packages. With the new pickle line equipment scheduled to start arriving imminently, there’s no time to lose.
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