British Steel says Skinningrove factory will support work on crane rails for Shanghai’s Yangshan deep-water quay

British Steel has a deal to supply crane rails for Shanghai’s Yangshan deep-water quay.

The firm will roll steel at its special profiles plant in Skinningrove, east Cleveland, to fulfil the contract, which officials say will help the Chinese port handle 15-metre deep container ships.

The deal is being delivered through crane rail market supplier Steel CLIK, and Peter Gate, managing director of British Steel’s special profiles business, said it is a significant coup.

He said: “China offers us a great opportunity, so we’re delighted to be bringing our products to market through Steel CLIK.

“Given the competition we faced, we’re immensely proud to have been awarded this contract.

"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.”

The company’s rails are made for overhead gantry and floor-mounted cranes in ports, warehouses and shipyards across the globe, with its special profiles division also known for excavator track shoes.

However, Mr Gate said for all its previous industry agreements, the Yangshan deep-water quay project, which is due to be finished in 2020 and will be connected to the mainland by a 20-mile bridge, will live long in the memory.

He said: “It will be an incredible development once completed.”

British Steel was founded out of Tata Steel’s loss-making Long Products division, following a £1 deal between owner Greybull Capital and the Indian operator.

It previously unveiled plans to spend £1.8m on new apparatus at Skinningrove to improve the surface quality of parts for the forklift truck and excavator bucket markets.

It has also revealed several deals since its formation, which include an agreement for its Teesside Beam Mill, near Redcar, to roll steel for Scunthorpe United’s new 12,000-seat stadium.