Plant and machinery from British Steel’s mothballed Scunthorpe plate mill will be sold off, following a decision not to re-open the manufacturing facility, which stopped production two years ago (under previous ownership).

As the mill already stands idle, there will be no job losses; the decision allows British Steel to focus on — and invest in — its iron- and steel-making operations and core products.

The company appointed Apex Auctions to manage the sale of equipment.

British Steel deputy CEO Paul Martin said: “This presents an excellent opportunity for steel manufacturers across the world to acquire some unique plant and machinery.

“All the equipment will be auctioned or sold via private treaty, including mill drive motors and associated control systems, high-pressure-water descaling pumps, trimming/cross-cut shears and hot/cold plate levellers.”

No decision has been made on whether the mill building, which has played a significant part in the Scunthorpe site’s history, will be demolished.

Mr Martin added: “The mill was mothballed in December 2015, as part of the restructuring of the Long Products Europe business in response to changes in market conditions prompted by cheap imports and high electricity costs.

“It had a global reputation for the excellence of its plate, millions of tonnes of which went into major projects around the world.

“It will always remain an important part of our heritage, but we haven’t seen the necessary improvements in the plate market to warrant the investment required to re-start it.

“We can now increase our focus on our iron- and steel-making operations, along with our core products of rail, wire rod, special profiles and construction steel.”

Apex Auctions (www.apexauctions.co.uk) is part of the Apex Group, which has more than 50 years’ experience of helping companies in the UK, Europe and the USA to sell excess equipment.

Stephen Dugard, managing director of Apex Auctions, said: “The sale presents a rare opportunity to acquire some unique plant and machinery, and we’re delighted to be working with British Steel on this project.”