Demolition of Ispat steel plant to begin

Eoin English

The eyesore buildings on the Haulbowline site will be levelled within a year as part of major plans to rehabilitate the area. Steel and abandoned machinery will also be scrapped.

“It will be a relatively slow and gradual process but it will result in a major improvement,” said Vincent Boyle, manager director of Clearway, the company charged with the work.

Protected stone-built former navy buildings will, be maintained.

The demolition and scrapping process will take place in tandem with work which started last week to determine contamination levels and advise on remedial work for the site.

Clearway is one of the country’s main processors and exporters of scrap metal.

Mr Boyle said he hoped his subsidiary, Hammond Lane Metal who have an office in Ringaskiddy, would extract up to 15,000 tonnes of scrap metal from the site.

It will be collected by ship and exported to European steel mills.

Loading will be confined to weekdays unless by special agreement.

The demolition and scrapping contract was offered by Lisneys on behalf of the State towards the end of 2004.

Clearwater won the bid but completion of contracts took some time because of the range of work involved.

Mr Boyle declined to give details on how much his company had bid.

But he assured harbour residents that the demolition work will be carried out under strict noise controls.