Port Talbot moves towards arc furnace future with groundbreaking ceremony
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Steel and the Tata Group, described the moment as an 'important day for Tata Group, Tata Steel and for the UK'.
He added: 'At Port Talbot, we are building the foundations of a cleaner, greener future, supporting jobs, driving innovation and demonstrating our commitment to responsible industry leadership.'
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Government was committed to a 'bright future for our steel industry' (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
The Government has backed plans for the new £1.25 billion electric arc furnace at the Tata steelworks with a £500 million investment.
The switch-on is due to take place in 2027 as part of the push towards greener production.
Tata insists the move will cut Port Talbot's emissions by 90%, while ensuring the future of steel production in the town.
The plant's last blast furnace was shut down in September 2024, with 2,500 workers to lose their jobs in the aftermath.
The new electric arc furnace will be able to process scrap steel, but is not able to make virgin steel as a blast furnace can.
Some MPs have said workers in South Wales have been let down in comparison with those retaining jobs in Scunthorpe, where ministers took control of the steelworks to prevent the closure of its blast furnaces.
The Government has said the two steelworks were in different situations.
Seeing spades in the ground today provides a tangible sign of Tata's intention to continue producing steel in the area, an industry which has provided quality jobs to local people for generations First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'This is our industrial strategy in action and is great news for Welsh steelmaking, backing this crucial Welsh industry, which will give certainty to local communities and thousands of local jobs for years to come.
'This Government is committed to a bright future for our steel industry, which is why we provided £500 million of funding to make this project possible.'
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said the new furnace would help to realise 'the promise we made to the community, while the development of floating offshore wind, plans for a Celtic Freeport and millions more for local regeneration all mean that Port Talbot has a bright future'.
First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan said: 'This is a momentous day for heavy industry in Wales, as the electric arc furnace has secured the long-term future of steel making at Port Talbot.
'Seeing spades in the ground today provides a tangible sign of Tata's intention to continue producing steel in the area, an industry which has provided quality jobs to local people for generations.'
Steelworkers' union Community described the groundbreaking ceremony as 'bittersweet'.
Community assistant general secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said: 'This bittersweet day is a consequence of the devastating closure of the blast furnaces, but importantly a future for Port Talbot steelmaking is being secured. The workforce needs the electric arc furnace project to be both a success and a turning point, and we look forward to playing our part to get the new furnace up and running.
'Today should represent the first step towards rebuilding our steel industry and creating new high-quality jobs for our steel communities. Going forward we must see further investment to develop and grow the business, both here in Port Talbot and across all the crucial downstream sites.
'It was also good to see the Secretary of State in Port Talbot today, and we will continue to hold talks with Government on their plans to safeguard and co-invest in our steel industry. The UK needs a strong and resilient steel sector now more than ever, and steel should be the cornerstone of a national industrial strategy fit for the future.'
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