On a visit to the Sirius Minerals development at the Wilton Site, Andrew Wyllie CBE, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has recognised the ingenuity of the polyhalite mine.
Andrew Wyllie CBE, said: “This is a fantastic example of UK engineering at its best.”
The ICE President visited the Wilton Site to see progress on developing the tunnel boring machine, which will be used to build the 37km underground tunnel, transporting the polyhalite ore from the mine near Whitby, to Teesport. He has visited the North East to find out about emerging engineering projects in the region and to recognise some of its recent achievements.
Earlier in the day, he visited Teesside University to meet budding civil engineers, where he spoke to staff, postgraduates and young academics about the future of the discipline.
Andrew continued: “This is a hugely important project for the North East of England and it’s great to see so much involvement from the local community, this is going to be such a boost for the local economy.
“The scale of the project is extraordinary. There are not many projects in Europe bigger than this. It’s not just the scale of the project which is important but the thought that’s gone into it too.
“All the elements of engineering are coming together for this statement project.”
Penny Marshall, Regional Director for ICE North East, said:
“Being able to bring the President of the ICE to see such an innovative project in the North East, is fantastic. We saw first-hand, the potential of civil engineering making possible what, in the recent past, would have seemed like a pipedream.”
A spokesperson for Sirius Minerals Plc, said: “We were delighted to welcome the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers to Sirius Minerals’ Wilton site.
“We’re proud of the innovative, low-impact sustainable design of our project, as well as the jobs and economic benefits that it is bringing to the area – and it’s fantastic to share this with members of this nationally recognised organisation.”