Work to restore the historic Musgrave Engine House in Swansea is underway thanks to a contract awarded through the Sell2Wales online procurement service.
Swansea-based company John Weaver Contractors has secured the major local restoration project with Swansea Council to repair the Musgrave Engine House and restore it to its former glory.
Though the building played a crucial role in the 20th century for the South Wales economy, in recent years the building has fallen under harder times but is being repaired due to its historical and cultural significance to the local area.
Built in 1910 as a new mill and engine house, the Musgrave Engine House played a unique role in the development of the steam engine and contained a single-cylinder Musgrave Uniflow engine, which was the last major development in reciprocating steam engine design. The technology attempted to overcome the heat loss experienced through condensation of steam in the cylinders during the exhaust period by allowing the steam to move in one direction only.
A license was obtained by John Musgrave and Sons of Globe Ironworks, Bolton, in 1909 and manufacture of Uniflow engines by them commenced in 1910. This engine is therefore one of the earliest Uniflow engines to be constructed, the type continuing to be made by Musgraves well into the 1920s.
John Weaver Contractors won the contract to deliver the work through Sell2Wales, the free online procurement service that delivers opportunities for business to engage and win work with the public and private sectors throughout Wales. Sell2Wales offers businesses the chance to work with every aspect of the public sector in Wales including; local authorities, the NHS, universities and colleges, and UK and Welsh Government departments and agencies.
Last month (August), John Weaver Contractors started a 25-week restoration project, worth around £300,000, that will see its team remove asbestos from the site, strip the old roof and renew the whole structure and coverings, and remake new copper slag bricks to help rebuild eroded walls. In addition, new security windows and guttering will be installed.
Discussing the project, Terry Edwards, Managing Director of John Weaver Contractors said: “Helping to restore the Musgrave Engine House is an exciting project for our team. The building is a local landmark and we’re very proud to be lending our services to supporting its repair.
“Of particular importance is the removal and re-fixing of the gantry crane as there is a set time in our programme to get the crane lifted out, refurbished, reassembled and re-fixed into position, and these works are crucial to the overall project being a success.
“We regularly use Sell2Wales for alerts on current tenders which match our requirements and we have won previous projects advertised on the portal too. Its intuitive system is extremely easy-to-use and navigate and because of Sell2Wales, we’ve found it much easier to secure work from local organisations and councils.”
Sell2Wales is part of Business Wales, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and supports the sustainable growth of small and medium-size enterprises across the country by offering access to information, guidance and business support.
Earlier in 2018, Sell2Wales announced it had reached a record landmark, with 22,000 contacts being secured through its portal. With more than £6bn worth of contracts being advertised through the platform every year, Welsh SMEs are being encouraged to sign up to the platform to secure new business opportunities.