Redcar's Blast Furnace demolished; end of an era for UK's Teesside steelmaking. Read details

Redcar began production in the late 1970s and could produce 10,000 tonnes of iron daily. The furnace was first decommissioned in 2010 before SSI UK revived it in 2012 after assuming ownership from Tata Steel. It was the second-largest blast furnace in Europe.

It terminated operations permanently in October 2015, when SSI entered liquidation, resulting in the immediate job loss of almost 2,000 employees.

The furnace 365ft (111m) high, once produced 3.6 million tonnes of iron a year.


250-metre exclusion barricade had been set up, with Gare road being closed since early morning. At 9:00 GMT, horns were heard shortly before the furnace fell down in seconds by explosives in the process of demolition.

Which building was demolished and what are the other plans?

The Casting Houses, Dust Catcher, Charge Conveyors, and Blast Furnace are among the structures that were razed.

Next month, four gas stoves that heated the furnace will be dismantled individually.

The structures fell roughly westward, away from the coast. Due to the direction of the wind, the explosion's resulting dust blew in the direction of South Gare.

This was the biggest demolition in 75 years and it marks the beginning of the end.

FAQ:

How tall was the Redcar blast furnace?
It was 365 feet tall.

How much explosive was used?
175kg of explosives have been used.

Which company undertook the demolition?
Thompsons of Prudhoe