Sheffield Forgemasters: £100m plans lodged for giant new forge set to safeguard 600 jobs
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The Brightside steelmaker is seeking permission for a ‘large industrial extension, equipment, chimneys, 11 tanks and a pumping station’ dubbed Project Conan.
It would house a 13,000-tonne press - estimated to cost £100m - which is in secure storage after being shipped from Japan.
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Hide AdThe new building will be the first since the historic firm was acquired by the Ministry of Defence last year, when it pledged to invest £400m over the next decade.
A planning statement with the application states it will secure the future of the company, keep it at the forefront of the steel industry and lay foundations for growth.
It adds: “This investment will safeguard a business within one of Sheffield's historic industries which have played a significant part in the growth of the city.
“In the immediate term, the development will deliver significant investment in the local economy and secure over 600 skilled jobs while laying the foundation for future investment to allow further modernisation of SFEL's facilities.
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Hide Ad“These benefits of the proposed development are considered to be significant for the economy of Sheffield and given SFEL's position at the forefront of the steel industry in the UK, these benefits will be important to the national economy.”
A cover letter states the planning application fee is £40,661 to be paid to Sheffield City Council.
A flood assessment states the risk is ‘very high’ - Forgemasters was famously inundated in 2007. To mitigate risks the proposed works include an offsite pumping station and onsite storage tank.
A target date of 2025 has been set for the new press to be operational.
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Hide AdIn August last year chief executive David Bond said the building would allow them to create larger components.
He added: “Installing a forging line of this scale is a significant undertaking and the scope of the civil engineering requirements is still being analysed, but we would anticipate a time-line of several years to completion.”
In recent years, Forgemasters’ main profits have come from specialist forgings and castings for submarines and Navy warships. It is also hoping to make parts for a new fleet of small nuclear reactors.