Eston Mine, Copyright: British Steel Collection, Teesside Archives.
Global economic and environmental trends mean that smoke and chimney stacks will never return to the North Yorkshire coast on the same scale. However, from the ashes of old 19th and 20th century industry, green shoots of recovery have recently emerged. Innovative companies and schemes in renewable energy, the creative industries, and of course mining, have come to the region, attracted by a good infrastructure, skills base and industrial expertise.
Today, the Anglo American Woodsmith Project is benefitting from this rich pool of local talent and resource. We are privileged to be writing a new chapter in the region’s mining history, with the two previous centuries of industrial development providing a foundation of knowledge and passion for us to build our 21st century mine.
“You wouldn’t necessarily think that someone with a creative background like me could find a good career in industry, especially in mining,” says Steven. “But the more I learn about it, the more I see how mining today is completely different from the stereotypes of the past, which people around here are very familiar with. I’ve been involved in conversations and projects on everything from cybersecurity and robotics, to the application of augmented and virtual reality. It’s a world away from the kind of mining my great great grandfather knew.”
As Anglo American benefits from the skills and talent of our local community, so the community benefits from the Woodsmith Project. Our business relies on a multitude of other local businesses, from steel fabricators, to PPE suppliers and catering firms.
“As long as companies like ours continue to support local business and seek local expertise, that only helps the wider community thrive,” Steven explains. “The offshoot is huge. Renewed industry in Teesside and the North Yorkshire coast gives other companies the confidence to bring their businesses here, knowing that we have the skills and the passion to succeed.”
Steven looks forward to the day when the first shipment of POLY4 is loaded from the Redcar Bulk Terminal, the same port which used to serve the Redcar steelworks, where generations of his family worked. Gradually, the hustle and bustle is returning to the area and the lights on Teesside he remembers from his childhood are reigniting.
“There’s genuine excitement about what new opportunity is going to come,” adds Steven. “The area is becoming a hive of activity again.”