IRON and steelmaker SSI has reached another milestone, having exported its one millionth tonne of steel slab since operations restarted in April.

The landmark load is being shipped by the Yasa Eagle as part of a 64,000-tonne cargo of Redcar-made steel bound for SSI’s plant in Thailand.

David Robinson, PD Ports chief executive, said: “This is a significant milestone reached and one which we are delighted to see achieved.

“Exporting such a large amount of slab in just five months since production restarted would not have been possible without the strong partnership between PD Ports and SSI UK, and together we aim to deliver an outstanding and first-class performance.

“However, it remains critically important that all supply chain members and stakeholders, including the Government, work together to create a long term and stable platform for SSI UK.”

Phil Dryden, chief executive of SSI UK, said: “This year has been a challenging year for all of the stakeholders associated with the restart of iron and steel making on Teesside, and we are grateful for the wonderful support we have received.

“I am very pleased that the plant operational performance has met our expectations and that the export route through Teesport has been such a tremendous success.

“This reflects the very effective working relationship and close cooperation which exists between PD Ports and SSI UK.”