Tata Steel UK’s £1.25 billion investment in green steelmaking, is transforming the future of steel production — and it’s about much more than just the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), as the company's latest podcast reveals.
“It is a massive project and a massive challenge. While it may fly under the radar, it is as big an investment as the blast furnace replacement a number of years ago — it's a real step forward for the mills.” — Andrew McGregor, Mills CAPEX Lead
Most people know the EAF will use scrap steel instead of raw materials, but the investment also covers crucial upgrades to Port Talbot’s Hot Strip Mill and Pickle Line — parts of the process that shape steel slabs into usable coils.
Many key components of the Hot Strip Mill, like the crop shear and coil box, are nearing the end of their operational lives. Replacing them is essential to keep the mill running efficiently for another 10 to 15 years.
“If we haven’t got crop shear and coil box, we haven’t got a hot mill operation. We haven’t got a sustainable business.” — Andrew McGregor
The Hot Strip Mill is a vital bottleneck in the steelmaking chain, with almost every product passing through it.
Alongside this, the old Pickle Line, which prepares steel sheets for further processing, is being replaced with a new line that will increase capacity to 1.8 million tonnes — future-proofing the site and enabling growth.
“This new pickle line is not just replacing old equipment, it’s an enabler for the future to make sure we are sustainable for the next 25 years.” — Andrew McGregor
Watch or Listen to the latest episode with Host Tim Rutter and Andrew McGregor to get an insider's view on these game-changing upgrades.
Alternatively, find the episode wherever you consume your favourite podcasts.
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$27.7 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2024.
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