Hundreds work on major steel deal at Forgemasters Published duration 12 October 2014

image caption Forgemasters said the multi-million pound deal would provide work for the 800 staff at the Sheffield site

Hundreds of steel workers in South Yorkshire are to work on a multi-million pound deal to supply steel castings weighing over 320 tonnes each.

Sheffield Forgemasters said the contract to supply the castings to a German firm would provide a "significant body of work" at its site.

The two-year £11.8m ($19m) deal will see 11 units made.

Forgemasters said the castings would be "some of the largest individual cast components ever manufactured".

Steve Price of Forgemasters said it was an important contract for the firm.

"It is also important for the UK, as one of the few countries in the world and the only country in Europe, with the skills and capacity to produce these ultra-large castings," he said.

"Forgemasters will deliver 11 castings over two years weighing in excess of 320 tonnes each, making them some of the largest individual cast components ever manufactured.

"Manufacture of the components will begin early 2015, creating a significant body of work for all operational areas and its 800 staff and will see the production of more than 6,000 tonnes of molten steel, with each casting requiring multiple ladles of steel poured continuously."