Fair weather ahead at Dalzell

This environmentally tough grade of plate steel was made in Motherwell in the past and Liberty’s management was eager to reinstate production as soon as the opportunity arose.

The reintroduction of weathering steel means not only will the Dalzell rolling mill be busier, but there will be increased use of the Clydebridge works at Cambuslang which provide the extra processing needed for the steel to withstand long-term exposure to the elements.

Liberty Steel Dalzell managing director Drew McGhie said: “By expanding the number of grades we make, we can ensure a brighter future for the workforce.

“We’ve started making use of Clydebridge equipment in recent months, but the addition of weathering steel to our range means we’ll now be using that plant more regularly.

“There are great market opportunities for weathering steel because UK production is very limited and almost all needs to be imported from Europe.”

Workers from Dalzell will operate at Clydebridge for an interim period until demand reaches a level that will sustain a resident workforce.

Liberty also announced that after acquiring the ex-Tata pipe mills at Hartlepool it intends to start making API grade plate steel in Scotland to be rolled into the highest specification oil and gas pipelines.