Latest news with #electricarcfurnace
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Work to begin on Tata's new electric furnace
Work to bring "a cleaner, greener future" to a south Wales site, where 2,800 jobs were lost when traditional steelmaking ended, will begin today. Construction will commence on a new electric arc furnace at Port Talbot's Tata steel works, which is expected to be up and running by 2027 and reduce the site's carbon emissions by about 90%. It comes after 2,800 jobs were lost when the site's blast furnaces were shut in September 2024. A union described the announcement as "bittersweet", but the UK government insisted it was a "major win". UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will join the Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens and representatives from Tata Steel to officially start the work on the new, greener steel-making project. Meanwhile, the UK government's steel council will meet on Monday to finalise its steel strategy, chaired by UK Industry Minister Sarah Jones and "backed by up to £2.5bn in investment". Can Port Talbot survive change at Tata? FM says Scunthorpe steel help cannot be at expense of Wales Over 2,000 workers apply for Tata Steel redundancy Community Union said the start of the works in Port Talbot was a "bittersweet day" after the "devastating closure of the blast furnaces" at the site. The union's assistant general secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said: "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." He added the union would continue to hold talks with government "on their plans to safeguard and co-invest in our steel industry". The UK government said the milestone was a "major win" made possible by a £500m grant they provided as part of the "improved deal for Port Talbot's transition". Reynolds described it as "great news for Welsh steelmaking", which will give "certainty to local communities and thousands of local jobs for years to come". Chairman of Tata Group Natarajan Chandrasekaran said it was a "ground-breaking" day which "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," he added. Jo Stevens said the construction of the new furnace "realises the promise we made to the community" and meant "Port Talbot has a bright future". Energy cost cuts to 'boost' thousands of new jobs What we know about Tata's new electric arc furnace Capturing last days at Port Talbot's steelworks Stevens said the UK government was "aiming to ensure that there is as little as possible hit on the UK steel industry" from US tariffs. Reports in June said the US government was threatening to leave Port Talbot out of a deal for tariff-free access to the US, because Tata has been importing steel since the closure of the blast furnaces last year. That means steel could breach US rules that require all steel to be "melted and poured" in the country it is imported from. "That's one of the things that we're talking to the US administration about," Stevens told Radio Wales Breakfast. She said the business secretary Jonathan Reynolds "is leading the discussions, working hard to secure protections for UK steel". Additional reporting by David Deans Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Port Talbot moves towards arc furnace future with groundbreaking ceremony
Port Talbot's steelworks will mark the beginning of its move towards green steel production on Monday. Ministers will join Tata Steel chiefs at the South Wales steel plant for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the new electric arc furnace's construction. 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.' 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. 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.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Port Talbot moves towards arc furnace future with groundbreaking ceremony
Port Talbot's steelworks will mark the beginning of its move towards green steel production on Monday. Ministers will join Tata Steel chiefs at the South Wales steel plant for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the new electric arc furnace's construction. 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.' 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. 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.'
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Port Talbot moves towards arc furnace future with groundbreaking ceremony
Port Talbot's steelworks will mark the beginning of its move towards green steel production on Monday. Ministers will join Tata Steel chiefs at the South Wales steel plant for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the new electric arc furnace's construction. 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.' 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. 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.'
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Algoma Steel announces first steel production from its new electric furnace
Algoma Steel announced Thursday it has achieved its first steel production at it new, state-of-the-art electric arc furnace project.
