Steel giant ramps up expansion plans

A South Yorkshire steel manufacturer is accelerating a major investment programme aimed at strengthening the UK’s defence manufacturing capabilities.

Sheffield Forgemasters has begun steelwork assembly on what will become the UK’s largest open die forging line at its Brightside site in Sheffield.

The Ministry of Defence-owned business, which can trace its heritage back to 1776 and continues to operate from its long-standing River Don Works site, is constructing a new 13,000-tonne forging line as part of a wider £1.3 billion recapitalisation programme aimed at strengthening UK defence manufacturing capabilities.

The new forge building will reach 45 metres high, standing significantly taller than surrounding structures, while steelwork is also advancing on a 30,000sq metre machine shop on nearby Weedon Street.

Together, the developments are transforming one of Sheffield’s historic manufacturing districts, with the scale of the project dwarfing the adjacent Meadowhall shopping centre and Ikea superstore.

The new machine shop will house 24 machines, including some of the world’s largest vertical turning lathes, supporting the company’s long-term production plans.

Gareth Barker, chief operating officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “We are now at an exciting phase of our £1.3 billion recapitalisation programme, where the physical reality of what we are delivering for the city starts to manifest.

“With the new machine shop and forge programmes on schedule, we can expect to see framework for both buildings completed by the end of the year, with external cladding underway ahead of the Winter.

“The new forge will bring a dramatic increase in capacity and capability for the manufacture of highly complex, large-scale forged components required for UK defence programmes and for civil nuclear developments.

“With a secure future, we are in a position to deliver new levels of nuclear-grade manufacturing as we train our employees and apprentices to adopt the latest technologies and expand the parameters of what can be achieved with state-of-the-art equipment.” 

A number of engineering and construction specialists are supporting the programme, including McLaughlin & Harvey, Arup, Bond Bryan, Turner and Townsend, JLL, Ipsum and JBA Bentley.

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