Dismantling the John Hargreaves Paper Mill steam power plant
Our team was appointed to dismantle one of the UK’s last remaining steam-powered paper mill machines, in situ, inside a live industrial building.
The project involved the complete in-situ dismantling and removal of a large and complex piece of industrial heritage machinery within a live industrial environment.
The task
Due to its size and the restrictions of the existing building, the plant could not be removed as a single unit. Every component had to be systematically dismantled in situ before being safely lowered, processed, and removed from the site.
The project required meticulous planning, carefully sequenced dismantling, controlled lifting operations, and specialist cutting techniques — while maintaining the highest standards of safety and environmental compliance.
Our solution
- Manual dismantling using specialist hand tools
- Oxy-propane cutting
- Plasma cutting
- Thermic lance cutting for heavy-section steel components
- Engineered lifting operations to safely lower large components
- Sectioning, processing, and removal of materials from within the building
- Transport of dismantled materials to approved recycling and waste facilities
Sustainability
All recovered materials were segregated into the appropriate waste streams for recycling. In total, more than 200 tonnes of ferrous and non-ferrous metals were recovered and recycled.
The outcome
Completed safely, efficiently and on schedule — removing a significant piece of Britain’s industrial heritage while maximising material recovery.
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