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Jessica welcomes the reopening of Alphasteel 27 July 2010

Today, Mir Steel UK announced that production at the Alphasteel plant in Newport is to restart, after it stopped production in December 2007. The announcement is good news for the steel industry in Newport, as it is hopefully a statement of intent by Mir Steel UK to not only maintain the site but also to invest in it for the long term.

Jessica said "I remember when I was told that production at the site was going to be suspended and no one could guarantee it would reopen, meaning all those jobs were going to be lost just before Christmas. It was terrible. It’s really pleasing that the Hot Strip Mill is going to restart, and that some jobs will return. Let’s us hope this announcement is only the start of the revival of the site.” 

In December 2007, the Hot Strip Mill at the site was suspended, with a loss of nearly 400 hundred jobs. It marked the start of a bad couple years for the steel industry in Newport, as the industry across the globe struggled with the financial meltdown.