British Steel wins contract to help build £57bn cargo port in China

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Scunthorpe will play its part to help build the world’s biggest cargo port in Shanghai after securing a deal to supply steel into China.

British Steel will supply crane rails for the 20-mile-long Yangshan deep water facility, a £57 billion project that will enable the port of Shanghai to handle huge container ships with depths of up to 15 metres.

The contract for the fourth-phase of the Yangshan project will be delivered through Steel CLIK, a major supplier in the crane rail market.

British Steel crane rail at the Yangshan development in China

Both companies have revealed they are part of an agreement that will see British Steel supply Steel CLIK with special profiles – crane rails, track shoe long bar and cutting edges – for use in China.

British Steel’s crane rails are developed for overhead gantry and floor-mounted cranes in ports, warehouses and shipyards across the globe.

The steel is made at the company’s Scunthorpe works before being rolled at its Special Profiles business in Skinningrove, Teesside.

Under the terms of the deal, British Steel has already supplied 4,650 tonnes of special profiles for the Yangshan development with a further 3,000 tonnes to follow for the next phase.

Peter Gate, Managing Director of British Steel’s Special Profiles business, said: “China offers us a great opportunity so we’re delighted to be bringing our products to market through Steel CLIK.

“Our crane rails are of a very high quality and strength and will ensure the port, which will handle millions of tonnes of cargo a year, has exceptional capabilities.”

A Steel CLIK spokesman said: “Our years of expertise and quality rails from British Steel have definitely helped us win most of the jobs in the market, not only in China but also in Vietnam, Brazil, Thailand, India, etc.”