TPi November 2016

business & market news

Liberty enters steel wind tower market as its steel expansion plans start to take shape

integrating our steel production and manufacturing supply chain to create a robust industrial eco-system. It is particularly appropriate that this new business will supply the renewable energy market in view of our own Greensteel strategy, which involves investing in green energy as the basis of a competitive UK steel and engineering industry. “Our aim is to create a world-class centre for the production of tubular towers and other large-scale steel fabrication. Most of these products are currently imported, so there is great potential to substitute this with our own production of best-in-class and competitive British towers, building sustained value and creating skilled jobs in a growth sector.”

Liberty, part of the GFG Alliance, bought the steel tower production equipment that was closed down in September 2015 by Mabey Bridge Renewables at Chepstow, South Wales. The equipment makes towers of up to 56m tall x 5m diameter for onshore wind installations, and Liberty has plans to upgrade the facility to make 110m x 10m towers for the growing offshore market. The plant will also make towers and cross-sections for the National Grid’s newly introduced 35m-tall T-pylons, which are expected to become a common feature across the British landscape. The group’s executive chairman, Sanjeev Gupta, said, “We are very excited about this new opportunity. It is an excellent example of how we are

The Liberty House Group’s ‘Greensteel’ strategy to build a fully integrated steel and engineering business across the UK has taken another step forward with the purchase of plant to make wind towers, T-pylons and other large-scale tubular steel fabrication. The equipment will form the heart of a major new manufacturing centre that will eventually supply the growing offshore wind market and turbine casings for Tidal Lagoon power, in which Liberty’s sister company SIMEC is a major investor. Plans for this centre also represent an early boost for Liberty’s newly acquired steel plants at Dalzell and Clydebridge in Scotland, which will make the heavy-duty steel plate required for the towers. The mothballed Scottish plate mills began recruitment with a view to re-starting production in September.

Liberty House Group – UK www.libertyhousegroup.com

Strengthening position in SE Asia Schmolz + Bickenbach International has invested in another subsidiary as part of an initiative to expand its sales and services activities in Asia. With immediate effect, the special steel producer with global operations is represented with its own sales location in Bangkok, Thailand. The aim is to expand the service offerings for existing customers in the automotive and electronics industry as well as in manufacturing, and to acquire potential new customers in these branches. Local industries can then benefit from informed consulting in the application-specific development of optimum long steel solutions. Sales activities of the Schmolz + Bickenbach Group subsidiary focus on special steels engineered specifically for machining in the production divisions Deutsche Edelstahlwerke, Steeltec and Ugitech. These products are sold in the technologically advanced automotive and electronics industry in Thailand. The new location is also to expand the sale in East Asia of special long steel from Deutsche Edelstahlwerke. There is in particular a demand among specialist suppliers in Thailand for high quality steel products such as those used, for example, in propeller shafts.

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Schmolz + Bickenbach Group – Switzerland www.schmolz-bickenbach.com

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November 2016 Tube Products International