The last major Ebbw Vale Works Operational Transformation - 1978! Ebbw Vale Works saw many changes to its configuration during its 200 years plus history, probably the most significant being the building of the new Integrated plant with continuous hot & cold rolling units in 1938. However a very significant change occured in 1978, which marked the closure of the last liquid steelmaking unit on site and the official opening of the new Tinplate complex, which at the time was one of the most modern in the world. May 19th 1978 marked the final cast of 120 tons of liquid steel from A Furnace bringing an end to the Steelmaking era at Ebbw Vale, which had commenced in 1854 with the introduction of the Bessemer process. The Open Hearth process was introduced to Ebbw Vale in 1898 and while we are not sure of the total tons produced by this process up to 1978, we do know that 15 million tons was produced from 1938 to 1978. The photograph shows the last cast with spectators scrabbling for viewing points with no apparent concerns for their safety !!! That time also saw the opening of the new Tinplate complex following a capital spend of £57m, which increased the tinplate output capacity by 35%. The attached photos show the Open Hearth and also some of the new units commissioned that year viz. Double Reduction Mill & No 4 Electrolytic Tinning Line. This complex operated effectively for the next 25 years and it was certainly not outdated plant that caused the closure of Ebbw Vale but the more modern phenomena of mergers & acquisitions, Globalisation, European Overcapacity and a move to alternative products. In fact the two units mentioned above were transferred after the closure to other Corus / Tata works and are believed to be still operating to this day. The photographs are just a small selection of the vast number stored in the museum.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:17:15 +0000
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