Increase in workforce at Anglo American's Whitby mine project, as company limits the impact of coronavirus

Despite the pandemic, the firm says its workforce has increased from around 600 in May to nearly 1,000 by the end of July, with more expected to be added in the coming months.

“After a brief pause at the beginning of the outbreak, we’ve been able to continue construction under new enhanced operating procedures based on and in some areas exceeding government guidelines,” said Gareth Edmunds, External Affairs Director for Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients business Woodsmith Project.

“We remain vigilant of the risk and will continue to do all we can do to keep everyone safe.

“It is important for the area that this project gets built and that we continue to deliver the jobs and opportunities for local businesses that are needed now more than ever.”

The owners of the new polyhalite mine at Sneaton, near Whitby, say the impact of coronavirus has been limited thanks to the successful implementation of health measures.

Anglo American bought out Sirius Minerals earlier this year after the latter hit difficulties financing the mine project. The headquarters of the Woodsmith Project are at Eastfield, Scarborough.

Despite the challenges of constructing during lockdown, strict temperature monitoring, social distancing and hygiene measures have meant that work has been able to be carried out safely.

During lockdown, the company gave £20,000 to food banks in Redcar and Cleveland, and to a meal delivery service for vulnerable people in Whitby. It also donated laptops to a local school to aid student remote learning.

“We’ve been fortunate to have not been too badly affected by the coronavirus crisis - we’re continuing to build and will actually be adding to our workforce later in the year as our shaft sinking operations ramp up,” said Mr Edmunds.

“But we are acutely aware that many people in the community have been badly impacted and will continue to be. We want to make sure that the opportunities and benefits this project brings to the area are spread as widely as possible.”

Anglo American is building two one-mile deep mineshafts near Whitby to access a vast 2.3 billion tonne deposit of the mineral polyhalite, which will be sold around the world as a natural fertiliser.

The underground mine will be connected to a 23 mile long tunnel, which will transport the ore to Teesside for processing and shipping.

The tunnelling operation has reached 4.5 miles so far. At the mine site, a giant mineshaft construction machine is currently being assembled and is expected to start excavating later this year.

It will be only the third time that the state of the art ‘Shaft Boring Roadheader’ has been used anywhere in the world to dig what will be the deepest mineshafts in Europe.

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