Neath Port Talbot Council’s Planning Committee has approved Tata Steel UK’s proposal to build a state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking facility in Port Talbot, the company announced.
Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair welcomed the approval, calling it a major milestone amid challenging global market conditions. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to starting large-scale site work this summer, with the EAF expected to begin operations by late 2027.
Tata Steel is investing GBP 1.25 bln (USD 1.57 bln) in the project, supported by GBP 500 mln (USD 630 mln) from the UK Government. The transition to EAF-based steelmaking will preserve 5,000 jobs and reduce on-site CO2 emissions by 90pct, equivalent to 1.5pct of the UK’s total direct CO2 emissions.
The approved plans include the construction of an EAF, two ladle metallurgy furnaces for secondary steelmaking, and supporting infrastructure. The site’s ageing iron and steelmaking assets, including the harbour, coke ovens, sinter plant, and blast furnaces, were decommissioned last year. In recent months, Tata Steel has made key project advancements.
In December, it signed a green steel supply deal with JCB, and last month, it appointed Sir Robert McAlpine as the main works contractor. In October, the company selected leading metals technology firm Tenova to supply the new furnace.
1 USD / 0.79 GBP
