The landmark Tata move comes on the footsteps of the UK shutting is oldest and last surviving blast furnace at Port Talbot Steelworks in Wales
Tata Steel has sewn up a deal with Italy-based Tenova to set up an electric arc furnace (EAF) at its Port Talbot plant in Wales, signalling a significant step towards decarbonisation. By the end of 2027, this £1.25 billion project, supported by £500 million from the British government, is poised to reduce carbon emissions at the site by 90 per cent.
There is near unanimous scientific agreement that climate change is the direct result of rising global temperatures, driven up by greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), attributable to toxic human activities. Fossil fuel powered steel plants, especially those based on blast furnaces, are among the major contributors to these emissions that threaten to push global temperatures beyond the tipping point. Europe, led by the UK, is initiating a flurry of steps to cut emissions.
The Tata move comes after the closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnace, the last in Britain, as the country’s steel industry continues to face challenges from low-cost imports. The electric arc furnace will produce steel from scrap, cutting 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Tata Steel plans to start construction in July 2025, following the submission of the planning application in November 2024. Public consultations on the project have already been completed.