Tata Steel has taken another major step forward in its journey to low CO2 'green' steelmaking with a new contract awarded to JASO Industrial Cranes, an elite manufacturer of process cranes worldwide.
As part of the company’s £1.25 billion investment in sustainable steel production at Port Talbot, JASO will supply seven high-capacity process girder cranes to support the operation of the plant’s state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) facility.
When fully operational in 2028, Tata Steel’s Electric Arc Furnace will be one of the largest in the world and reduce the site’s carbon emissions by 90%, equivalent to five million tonnes of CO₂ a year.
Key components of the contract with JASO Cranes include:
· Three 500-tonne capacity cranes for handling liquid steel ladles, essential for the efficient operation of the new steelmaking facility.
· Two 80-tonne scrap cranes to feed the Electric Arc Furnace via an integrated conveyor system, ensuring a steady supply of raw materials.
· Two 35-tonne cranes for electrode maintenance, supporting the ongoing operation of the plant’s advanced equipment.
Stuart Lloyd, Project Manager for the Cranes Project said: “We’re excited to strengthen our longstanding partnership with JASO on this crucial part of our £1.25 billion transformation.
“Back in 2019, we worked with JASO to replace our 60-year-old North Charging Crane (watch the YouTube series), which lifted hot metal ladles to charge the Steel Plant's converters with molten iron. We’ve built on the lessons learned from that project to help guide this exciting next phase of our green steelmaking journey.”
He continued: “These seven new, high-capacity process cranes will play a pivotal role in connecting different parts of our cutting-edge Electric Arc Furnace facility, enabling low-emission steel production in South Wales for many years to come.”
Raúl Fernández, Marketing & Sales Director at JASO Industrial Cranes said: “We are extremely proud to continue delivering cutting-edge engineering solutions for high-profile projects like this one in Port Talbot.
“This order marks both the largest and most impactful project in our company’s history. It is truly a privilege to play a key role in the UK steel industry’s transition to a stronger and more sustainable future.”
WATCH the interview with Construction Manager for the Cranes Project, Carys Jenkins and Marketing & Sales Director, JASO, Raúl Fernández to learn more about the scale and complexity of the project.
About the project
- The joint £1.25 billion investment by Tata Steel and the UK Government in green steelmaking at Port Talbot is the biggest in a generation and will not only secure 5000 jobs across Tata Steel UK, but will reduce the site’s CO2 emissions by 50 million tonnes over the next ten years.
- This collaboration builds on Tata Steel and JASO Industrial Cranes’ partnership in 2019, for which they supplied Port Talbot’s Steel Plant with a 135 tonne capacity, 41-metre-long slab crane, as well as a 500 tonne converter loading crane.
- This year, the company appointed Sir Robert McAlpine as the project’s mains works contractor and in October, it announced that world-leading metals technology manufacturer Tenova will supply the new electric arc furnace.
- Construction work for Tata Steel's Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) project at Port Talbot is set to begin in Summer 2025. This marks the start of a significant transformation in the steelmaking process at the site.
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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