The UK government has secured key raw materials to keep British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant operational. Over 55,000 tons of blast furnace coke from BlueScope Steel’s Australian plant recently arrived at Immingham Bulk Terminal and will be transported by rail to the site.
An additional shipment, over 66,000 tons of iron ore pellets and 27,000 tons of iron ore fines from Sweden, is expected next week. The government directly funded this delivery using existing Department for Business and Trade (DBT) budgets, underscoring its commitment to supporting UK industry.
These deliveries will enable both blast furnaces at Scunthorpe to remain in operation, providing stability for the plant’s 3,000-strong workforce and reinforcing the UK’s primary steelmaking capacity.
The announcement follows British Steel’s decision last week to end a redundancy consultation launched in March by its owner, Jingye Group, and to continue operating both blast furnaces. The move comes shortly after the UK government temporarily took control of British Steel under the Steel Special Measures Act, passed on 12 April 2025, amid concerns that Jingye was preparing to shut down primary steelmaking.