P&O Ferrymasters Support British Steel in the Largest-ever Sleepers Export Win

British Steel has officially announced it has won its largest ever order for rail sleepers with a major export deal for West Africa. The steel manufacturer will export 244,000 of its steel sleepers to Guinea, which will be used to upgrade the railway line at a bauxite mine in the mineral-rich country.

The P&O Ferrymasters Scunthorpe team will support by moving the steel sleeper loads from the British Steel site in Scunthorpe to Stukwerkers Havenbedrijf NV in Ghent, Belgium, for the sleepers to be shipped to Guinea.

From Scunthorpe to Ghent, the sleeper loads will be transported using a multimodal setup, combining road and sea. Shipping cargo by sea provides a greener alternative to conventional, overland transport with significantly reduced CO2 emissions per ton/kilometre carried. Road transport is used for the first and last mile, while sea freight makes up most of the transport journey, enabling British Steel to decarbonise its supply chain.

British Steel’s Export Sales Manager, Rail, Jérôme Bonef, said: “This is fantastic news for our business, particularly given the high level of competition we faced to secure this contract. Our steel sleepers provide the perfect technical solution to the challenges facing rail operators in this region, and we’re proud to have been chosen to support such a major project.”

Guinea is estimated to possess more than a quarter of the world’s supply of bauxite, and, as it continues to increase its export capacity, it needs to upgrade existing freight lines.
Andy Rooke, P&O Ferrymasters Contract Manager, British Steel, said: “The contract started in January to run for 18 months and is positive news for all the partners involved.”