IF the herculean effort to return production to the former British Steel site at Redcar was the ultimate business back-from-the-dead story, then the battle to keep the fledgling operation on its feet has been almost as dramatic.

The tears of joy and relief that were shed by workers and their families when the first steel slab rolled down the casting table in April 2012, have been followed by blood and sweat, as the Redcar plant fought for survival in a steel industry which has lurched from one crisis after another.

Since the momentous Sunday afternoon when SSI became the first business ever to bring a mothballed British steelworks back to life the 2,000-jobs plant has made more than eight million tonnes of steel slab, which has been loaded and shipped via Teesport to clients in Turkey, Germany, Thailand and the US.

Production records have been set, celebrated and then smashed again; apprentices have been recruited, contractors handed permanent deals, and hundreds of jobs supported in the local supply chain.

Teesport operator PD Ports recently signed a new seven year deal to handle SSI's output, and suppliers have largely kept faith with the business despite its ongoing cashflow problems which has meant bills totalling tens of millions of pounds have been put on extended repayment terms.

Among the factors that have protected the plant is that its parent company in Bangkok is also one of its key customers. Unlike many of its rivals this has stabilised demand for Teesside steel. To ensure it wasn't wholly reliant on the South East Asian market over the last two years SSI UK has also struck deals with new clients in Europe and the US.

But three years down the line the plant still hasn't made a penny in profit, and boss Cornelius Louwrens has admitted it is unlikely to move into the black this year.

Steel prices have continued to fall over the past six months as Chinese steelmakers flood the market with cut price product.

SSI's Thai owners, led by group chief executive and president Win Viriyaprapaikit, have shown unwavering faith in the North-East plant they rescued and subsequently funded with more than £1bn of bail-outs. The most recent set of accounts, which showed losses of £193.5m, down from £275m the previous year, led the company accountant to voice “significant doubt” SSI UK could continue as a going concern.

"We are still here," defiant steel union leader Paul Warren, told The Northern Echo this week.

"Things have been tough - no one would deny that. We thought the business had started to turn the corner and there was light at the end of the tunnel last year, but steel prices have stayed low and this is another very challenging period.

"But every time I talk to Win (Viriyaprapaikit) he talks about the future. Yes, we are three years in, but these are still the baby steps of what we all hope will be a 25 to 30-year project. We are all working incredibly hard to make this work, and am I confident that we will get there.

"I am a typical Teessider, I take nothing for granted. I look at things one day at a time. But we have got this far by working together, and that is how we will go forward," he added.