Demolition contractor Thompsons of Prudhoe used 1.6 tonnes of explosives to bring down the 65-metre high building. There were three blasts over seven seconds. Six months will now be spent clearing up the site.
The BOS plant refined molten iron from the blast furnace, until the works closed in 2015. The site is now being redeveloped as part of the Teesworks freeport plans.
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, who pressed the detonation button, said: “Each demolition of the former steelmaking structures on this site is a bittersweet moment as they have played such a huge part in shaping our communities, people and identity for decades.
“Ever since the SSI steelworks closure brought so much heartache to our region almost seven years ago to the day, this plant has laid dormant and unused.
“While we remember our past, we must never lose sight of the reason we’re doing this. I made a promise to build a better future for the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool and today is another part of delivering upon that.”
Thompsons of Prudhoe commissioned Sky Revolutions to film the event. A team of five captured the footage below, which included images from drones and from sacrificial ground-based cameras.
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