Sirius Minerals project area in North Yorksire, England contains the largest known, highest grade resource of polyhalite to be found anywhere in the world. The polyhalite resource of 2,660 Mt, as defined according to the JORC code, represents 7% of the project’s area of interest.

Polyhalite will be extracted via two mine shafts and transported outside of the National Park to Teesside on a conveyer belt system in an underground tunnel. It will then be granulated at a materials handling facility, with the majority being exported to overseas markets. The company is aiming to achieve first product from the mine by the end of 2021, ramping up to an initial production capacity of 10 Mt/y and then full production of 20 Mt/y.

Last week the Company held its first two jobs fairs in Skinningrove and Whitby, with local people securing roles and others being invited to interviews with construction contractors as a result. The events, which are being hailed as a resounding success, were attended by 700 people and were an opportunity for individuals who live in North Yorkshire and Redcar and Cleveland to find out more about the roles that are being created during the construction phase of the company’s polyhalite project. Construction jobs on the project are estimated to peak at 1,700.

Many of these roles will be with the contractors, including DMC Mining Services, Strabag and Careys Civil Engineering (CCE), who joined staff from Sirius at the events. Scarborough Construction Skills Village and Redcar and Cleveland Council’s Routes to Employment Service were also in attendance to offer bespoke training advice, C.V. guidance and employment skills support.

Pat Grenham, Senior Project Manager at Careys Civil Engineering said: “The standard of attendees at the events was exceptional. We have already employed seven local people as a result and we look forward to welcoming others to the team in the future.”

Pauline Garnett, UK Director of Human Resources for DMC Mining Services, Sirius’ shaft sinking contractor, said: “There is a high level of industrial skill in the local area, and these events attracted some excellent talent. We have been delighted by the calibre of applicants and have shortlisted some of those in attendance at the jobs fairs for interview.”

Jason Fawcett, Tunnel Construction Manager for Strabag, who are constructing the first tunnel drive of Sirius’ mineral transport system (MTS), was also at the events.

“It was very encouraging to see the level of enthusiasm and skill on offer”, he said. “The job fairs have given us a strong understanding of the wide range of expertise and transferable skills on offer in the area. We are already interviewing candidates who we met at the events and will continue to do so.”

In addition to its construction roles, the project is set to create approximately 1,000 jobs in operations and a further 1,450 in the supply chain.

Matt Parsons, External Affairs General Manager for Sirius, said: “There has been a tremendous amount of interest in the jobs available within our Project and it’s fantastic that more local people are joining the team. Whilst we can’t guarantee everyone that attended will get a job, we hope that people found the sessions informative about the roles that will be created and how to access relevant training and support.”

Meanwhile, leading construction materials supplier, Aggregate Industries has proven its credentials in its recent work at the Woodsmith mine development. Mine development is now well underway with a vast  mine head at Woodsmith mine, Sneaton, with shafts 1,500m deep, and a 37-km tunnel to transport the potash to Wilton International near Redcar.

Core to the state-of-the-art project is the supply and delivery of a vast high quality, hardstone aggregate to be used for road construction and ground stabilisation works. Subsequently, leading earthworks contractor, Collins Earthworks called on the services of expert Aggregate Industries to provide the vast material requirement.

During the course of just seven months, running from May to December 2017, Aggregate Industries’ specialist team has since supplied 81,000 t of Type 3 sub-base aggregates and 9,000 t of Type 1 sub-base aggregates. A further 20,000 t of material was provided during January and February 2018.

In order to effectively and sustainably manage the scale of supply demands, material has been sourced from the business’s Glensanda quarry and shipped to the nearby Teesside port, before being road hauled direct to the project. This approach has enabled the team to deliver in excess of 500 t/d, while operating a stringent quality procedure to ensure the material exceeded the structure and strength values required for the project.

Dave Shaw, Site Manager at Collins Earthworks, said: “I would like pass on my thanks to Aggregate Industries for providing such a swift and efficient approach to our aggregate requirement which has been vital to keeping the project on schedule. Working on a project of this calibre and scale, it is vital to partner with genuine experts with not just the product capabilities but the expertise behind it, and the team haven’t failed to deliver. I’m sure this relationship will continue as we progress the project over the next four years.”

John Taylor, sales manager, Aggregates North, comments:  “Having worked on numerous projects of this size, we were able to apply our learnings to ensure an even more robust approach to the aggregate supply. From working closely with Collins Earthworks at the inventory stages, we have put a stringent plan in place to ensure a continuity of supply without disruption, ensuring the teams have the exact specific technical and quality specification of aggregate as and when they need it.”