New Zealand Steel

The mill seen from the air.

Coordinates: 37°12′S 174°44′E / 37.2°S 174.733°E / -37.2; 174.733

New Zealand Steel is a large steel mill located at Glenbrook, New Zealand. It uses a unique method of producing steel from ironsand, abundant on the west coast of the North Island. The ironsand is mined at the coast, then mixed with water to form 'slurry', which is pumped through an underground pipe to the mill and stockpiled to await use.

The mill is served by the Mission Bush railway branch, (which was formerly a branch line to Waiuku). Coal and lime trains arrive at the mill daily, and steel products depart.

History

New Zealand Steel Limited was incorporated by the New Zealand Government in 1965.^[1] In 1967, construction started on a mill at Glenbrook. Commercial operations began in 1968, with imported feed coil being used to produce steel for domestic and Pacific Island markets.

The company had pioneered the direct reduction process for reducing iron oxide (ironsand) into metallic iron. This culminated in the commissioning in 1970 of iron and steelmaking facilities to produce billets for domestic and export markets.

Expansion continued with the commissioning of a pipe plant in 1972 and a prepainting line in 1982. Total output at this time averaged 300,000 tonnes a year.

In the 'Think Big' era of New Zealand industrialisation, the mill was upgraded.

In 1987 New Zealand Steel was acquired by Equiticorp.^[1] However, Equiticorp was bankrupted in the New Zealand sharemarket crash of 1987. In 1989 New Zealand Steel was acquired by Helenus Corporation, which comprises Fisher & Paykel, Steel & Tube, ANZ and BHP. In 1992 BHP took up a controlling interest with an 81% shareholding by acquiring the shares of Fisher & Paykel and Steel & Tube.^[1] The company was initially renamed BHP New Zealand Steel Limited, but in 2002 it was renamed New Zealand Steel when BHP Steel was listed on Australian stockmarket under the name Bluescope Steel.^[1]

Production

The site produces about 650,000 tonnes of steel a year, and supplies most of the steel used in New Zealand, apart from that used in concrete reinforcing which is produced by Pacific Steel. 1,150 employees and 200 semi-permanent contractors work at the site, which makes them the biggest site by employment in New Zealand.

External links

• Glenbrook Steel Site (official company webpage)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "New Zealand Steel: History". New Zealand Steel Limited. 2011. http://www.nzsteel.co.nz/about-new-zealand-steel/history. Retrieved 26 August 2011.