Margam Steel Works
1917 Baldwins started work on the new steelworks at Margam with government support; the site was about half a mile from the Port Talbot Steelworks on land leased from the Emily Talbot/Margam estate. The foundations for three blast furnaces were laid although only two were actually completed.
1918 Two 70 ton open-hearth furnaces went into production at Margam; the steel went to Port Talbot Steel Co for rolling.
1920 Two blast furnaces were operating at the new Margam steel works by mid-year[1], followed by one rolling mill.
By 1929 the heavy side of Baldwin's steel business, i.e. the Margam Works and Port Talbot, were worked as one unit under a single management control. They had sufficient orders for rails and sections but not for light and heavy plates. The works made the steel for the British Mannesmann Tube Co.
1930 Formation of British (Guest Keen, Baldwins) Iron and Steel Co; after this all of the company's heavy steelmaking was concentrated at Port Talbot.
From the mid 1930s Port Talbot/Margam operated at or near full capacity and made a major contribution to Britain's war effort during World War Two.
1947 The Steel Co of Wales announced it would build a new strip mill adjoining Margam Steelworks. Later that year the Steel Co of Wales officially took over the running of Port Talbot/Margam.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, Jul 08, 1920
- [1] History of the steel industry in the Port Talbot area.