Preparations are well underway for the construction of a new steel processing line as part of Tata Steel’s £1.25 billion investment programme to decarbonise its UK operations, and reduce CO2 emissions from its Port Talbot site by 90%.
While public attention often focuses on the construction of the new 3 Mtpa electric arc furnace (EAF), another critical part of the transformation is unfolding quietly—yet significantly—in the site’s southern end: the construction of a new Pickle Line.
The Pickle Line is an essential process in preparing steel for downstream processing, removing the surface of the steel strip following hot rolling.
The new line is to be built alongside the existing Pickle Line, which is needed to run throughout the site’s reconfiguration.
Preparations are therefore being made in the former Batch Annealing Bay, which has lain dormant since the late 1990's, and still has over 50 ‘bases’ each of which would have held 30-tonne coils stacked four high.
Lead Project Engineer Phil Bridges and his team are responsible for the meticulous removal and recycling of the bases, which were installed in the 1950's, to make way for the new facility.
He said: “These aren’t just old units—over time they have become fragile, so it’s not just a case of ripping them out. We had to develop unorthodox methods for lifting them safely. Every move was scrutinised, every step planned in detail.”
Logistics, safety, and environmental controls are paramount, with a multi-agency effort supporting the transition.
“From Works Protection to our electrical teams rerouting underground cables, the level of collaboration has been immense,” he added.
The new Pickle Line is scheduled for commissioning in December 2027, and Phil’s team will continue supporting the project through construction and into commissioning. Importantly, the old equipment won’t go to waste. Everything that can be reused or recycled will be brought back into the business.
About Tata Steel UK
- The Tata Steel Group has been named one of the most ethical companies in the world, and is among the top producing global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 34 million tonnes.
Tata Steel in the UK has the ambition to produce net-zero steel by 2045 at the latest, and to have reduced 30% of its CO2 emissions by 2030. - In October 2024, Tata Steel ceased ironmaking at its Port Talbot site and temporarily paused steelmaking pending the construction of a 3.2Mtpa Electric Arc Furnace, due to be commissioned late in 2027 / early 2028. For that period, the business will import slab and hot rolled coil to support manufacturing and distribution operations at sites across Wales, England and Northern Ireland as well as Norway, Sweden, France, Germany and UAE. It also benefits from a network of sales offices around the world.
- Throughout 2024 Tata Steel UK has been undergoing a restructuring that will reduce the size of its workforce to around 5000 direct employees, supplying high-quality steel products to demanding markets, including construction and infrastructure, automotive, packaging and engineering.
- Tata Steel Group is one of the world's most geographically-diversified steel producers, with operations and a commercial presence across the world.
- The group recorded a consolidated turnover of around US$26 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2025.
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