SSI UK bosses’ confirmation of their intention to mothball the Redcar site means steelmaking has officially stopped.

Where there was once a previous pause in work, there is now a permanent break.

The sinter plant, which prepares iron ore for the blast furnace, is being mothballed.

The iconic blast furnace is suffering the same fate.

Its brief rebirth was the very epitome of Thailand-based SSI’s optimism as it launched its UK venture.

However, it today stands as a reminder of the cruel twists the company endured as increasingly difficult markets crippled its performance.

The steel making plant and the casting plant, responsible for the steel slabs, have gone the same way.

But what does mothballing actually mean?

Essentially, it is the process where a company’s use of equipment or a building for work ends.

It’s the term used to refer to the maintenance work done to keep a site in a suitable enough condition so it can be used again, be it by its present owner or a new buyer.

An SSI spokesman said: “Mothballing keeps things in a state where they could be started up again.

“It can be things like lubricating parts, checking things and making sure areas are operational.

“It’s about putting things in a state where they can be brought back.”

For SSI’s Redcar base, mothballing is an all too familiar tale.

When former owner Corus saw its Redcar Teesside Cast Products plant suffer from lower demand and the loss of orders, it was mothballed and the blast furnace eventually turned off.

SSI’s fairytale arrival to revitalise the site is well documented, so there is potential scope it could happen again.

However, the Community union has already raised questions SSI can do it properly, saying the failure to look after assets sufficiently could leave a bill stretching into millions of pounds.

Tom Blenkinsop, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, also said he wants the Government to step in and ensure the mothballing is done properly.