Tata Steel: Port Talbot
(asked on 13th February 2024) - View Source
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Tata Steel's decision to close both blast furnaces at its Port Talbot plant on (1) UK primary steel production, and (2) the UK defence industry.
Answered by
Lord Offord of Garvel
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
HMG have agreed to invest a historic £500 million at Port Talbot as part of Tata Steel's £1.25bn plan to transition to Electric Arc Furnace production.
Following the transformation, the company's modelling suggests the business will be able to produce 90% of its existing order book through the new Electric Arc Furnace. Moving to EAF production will also enable them to satisfy demand from customers who are demanding more green steel.
Tata Steel's plans to cease UK primary steel production at its Port Talbot steelworks are not anticipated to adversely impact defence. Specialist steels that are unavailable from UK sources are already procured by our prime contractors from overseas suppliers. Other grades of steel are likely to remain available from UK sources or are widely available on world markets.