STEELMAKING in the North-East is due to restart this weekend as an iconic blast furnace roars back into life.

Bosses at Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), in Redcar, said that the steel plant, which was mothballed in 2010, will be lit, marking the rebirth of a site that will employ about 1,800 workers.

The historic event will cap a momentous week for North-East industry.

Yesterday, it emerged that 1,000 jobs will be created on Tyneside by OGN North Sea, building the foundations for offshore wind farms.

That follows Nissan’s decision to build a new hatchback model at its Sunderland plant from 2014, creating about 1,000 jobs and sparking investment and job creation by the region’s car parts manufacturers.