Latest news with #ElectricArc
Pembrokeshire Herald
14-07-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Port Talbot steelworks enters green era – but thousands already out of work
5,000 jobs secured as electric arc furnace construction begins, but unions call transition 'bittersweet' WORK has officially begun on a £500 million green steel project in Port Talbot, marking a new chapter for the UK's largest steelworks — but one that arrives after the loss of thousands of jobs and amid ongoing uncertainty for former workers. On Monday (July 14), Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, and Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran broke ground on the construction of a new electric arc furnace (EAF), which will form the centrepiece of Tata Steel's transition to low-carbon steelmaking. The UK Government says the new facility will secure 5,000 jobs, reduce carbon emissions at the site by up to 90%, and place Welsh industry at the heart of a national push toward net zero. Thousands already made redundant While ministers praised the milestone as a sign of progress, many in the Port Talbot community are still grappling with the human cost of the transition. In January 2024, Tata Steel announced it would shut down both blast furnaces, citing unsustainable losses and the need to modernise. The company confirmed that up to 2,800 jobs would be cut across the UK, with around 2,500 of those losses in Port Talbot. Since then, hundreds of workers have already left, either through voluntary redundancy, early retirement, or compulsory lay-offs, with the first blast furnace already closed by autumn 2024. Although the UK Government pledged £80 million in transition support, including retraining and regeneration funding, unions and some MPs say many workers have been left behind. Union: 'Bittersweet day for Port Talbot' The Community Union, which represents many of the affected steelworkers, described the groundbreaking as 'bittersweet.' Assistant General Secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said: 'This is a consequence of the devastating closure of the blast furnaces, but importantly a future for Port Talbot steelmaking is being secured. 'Today should represent the first step towards rebuilding our steel industry and creating new high-quality jobs. Going forward, we must see further investment to grow the business — both in Port Talbot and at crucial downstream sites.' The union also emphasised that Electric Arc Furnaces require far fewer workers than traditional blast furnaces, and warned that unless the government steps up investment and industrial planning, many skilled workers could be lost from the industry for good. Ministers promise long-term support Speaking at the event, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 'This is our Industrial Strategy in action. We're backing Welsh steelmaking and securing thousands of jobs for the future. 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.' Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens added: 'The construction of Tata's new furnace realises the promise we made to the community. Our Steel Strategy will deliver up to £2.5 billion of investment to rebuild the UK industry, maintain jobs and drive growth.' Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said the day marked 'the beginning of a new era' for the company in the UK. '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,' he said. Council welcomes but acknowledges uncertainty Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr Steve Hunt, also welcomed the development, which received planning permission from the local authority earlier this year. 'This is the start of a new era for a town shaped by steelmaking,' he said. 'We know change brings uncertainty, but this is a significant and welcome milestone as our communities adjust to the future shape of steelmaking in Port Talbot.' Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said: 'Ensuring the electric arc furnace is completed on time is absolutely essential to safeguard as many skilled jobs as possible. 'However, the people of Port Talbot won't easily forget, or forgive, the Government's failure to step in and protect local jobs, as they did in Scunthorpe. That disparity has rightly been seen as a betrayal of our industrial communities.' What comes next The Electric Arc Furnace is expected to be operational within a few years. Meanwhile, Industry Minister Sarah Jones chaired a meeting of the UK Steel Council in Cardiff on Monday to discuss the wider Steel Strategy — including procurement reform, energy cost relief for producers, and stronger safeguards against steel dumping. As the dust settles on the groundbreaking ceremony, Port Talbot begins the difficult task of balancing hope for a cleaner, more sustainable future with the legacy of industrial decline and the livelihoods already lost.
Business Upturn
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Tata Steel begins work on UK's largest green steel plant in Port Talbot
Tata Steel UK has officially launched construction of a landmark Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) in Port Talbot, Wales, marking a major step toward sustainable steelmaking. In a special groundbreaking event, Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran joined UK government ministers and senior company leaders to kick off the project. Tata Steel CEO & MD T.V. Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair also took part in the ceremony, symbolizing the start of a £1.25 billion green transformation, with £500 million in support from the UK Government. Once completed by the end of 2027, the new electric furnace will be one of the largest in the world. It's expected to cut carbon emissions from the Port Talbot site by around 90%—roughly 5 million tonnes of CO₂ each year—while ensuring the production of high-quality, sustainable steel and supporting around 5,000 jobs in the UK. Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Mr Chandrasekaran said: 'This is an important day for Tata Group, Tata Steel and for the UK. Today's groundbreaking marks not just the beginning of a new Electric Arc Furnace, but a new era for sustainable manufacturing in Britain. 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. This project is also part of Tata Group's wider investment in the UK, across steel, automotive, and technology among others, which reflects our deep and enduring partnership with this country.' The EAF will melt scrap steel sourced within the UK to produce up to 3 million tonnes of steel annually. The wider project also includes advanced metallurgy facilities, upgraded infrastructure, and key collaborations with global tech leaders like Tenova, ABB, and Clecim. Construction will be led by Sir Robert McAlpine and supported by a number of regional suppliers, including Darlow Lloyd & Sons, Mii, Skelton Thomas, Wernick Buildings, Andrew Scott Ltd, and Systems Group. This milestone reinforces Tata Steel's commitment to decarbonisation, industrial growth, and placing Wales at the forefront of green steel innovation. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Tata Steel advances green steelmaking plans through major crane project
Tata Steel UK has taken another major step in its journey to produce green steel, with a new contract awarded to JASO Industrial Cranes, a leading manufacturer of process cranes globally. As part of Tata Steel's 1.25 billion pound investment in sustainable steel production at Port Talbot in the UK, JASO will supply seven high-capacity process girder cranes to support the operation of the plant's Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) facility. When fully operational in 2028, Tata Steel's Electric Arc Furnace will be one of the largest in the world and reduce the site's carbon emissions by 90 per cent - equivalent to five million tonnes of CO2 a year. Key components of the contract with JASO Cranes include 500-tonne capacity cranes for handling liquid steel ladles, essential for the efficient operation of the new steelmaking facility, two 80-tonne scrap cranes to feed the Electric Arc Furnace via an integrated conveyor system, ensuring a steady supply of raw materials, and two 35-tonne cranes for electrode maintenance, supporting the ongoing operation of the plant's advanced equipment. Stuart Lloyd, Project Manager for the Cranes Project, said: "We are excited to strengthen our longstanding partnership with JASO on this crucial part of our 1.25 billion pound transformation. "Back in 2019, we worked with JASO to replace our 60-year-old North Charging Crane, which lifted hot metal ladles to charge the Steel Plant's converters with molten iron. We have built on the lessons learned from that project to help guide this exciting next phase of our green steelmaking journey," Lloyd said. "These seven new, high-capacity process cranes will play a pivotal role in connecting different parts of our cutting-edge Electric Arc Furnace facility, enabling low-emission steel production in South Wales for many years to come." Raul Fernandez, Marketing and Sales Director at JASO Industrial Cranes said: "We are extremely proud to continue delivering cutting-edge engineering solutions for high-profile projects like this one in Port Talbot". "This order marks both the largest and most impactful project in our company's history. It is truly a privilege to play a key role in the UK steel industry's transition to a stronger and more sustainable future." India-based Tata Steel owns the UK's largest steelworks of 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at Port Talbot in South Wales and employs around 8,000 people across all its operations in that country. As part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the company is transitioning from the blast furnace route to the low-emission electric arc furnace process, which will utilise the locally available scrap. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
