Landmark Redcar steel factory Sinter Plant now demolished in controlled explosion

A landmark steel factory on Teesside has been demolished in a controlled explosion.

The Sinter Plant formed part of the former steelworks site in Redcar.

The area has a rich history of iron and steelmaking, which began in 1850 when iron ore was discovered in the Cleveland Hills near Eston. 

Now the site is being cleared part to make room for new investment investment on Teesworks, the UK’s largest Freeport. 

Around 8,500 tonnes of steel were brought down in the demolition on Thursday 11 August.

Only the nearby waste gas stack and two supporting structures now remain in the area.

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.

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.

“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.”

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