As one team they will transform the site in readiness for low-carbon steelmaking. Their new state-of-the-art working accommodation – which is clad with our materials – consists of offices as well as welfare facilities such as a canteen for 500 people and kitchens, changing facilities, showers, prayer rooms and occupational health rooms. It has all come together very smoothly in just a few months. 

In that time, the familiar skyline of Port Talbot is changing, most recently with the dismantling of the iconic harbour cranes. The port area, moving back under the management of the ABP, is being repurposed. Indeed, much of our work over the autumn and winter is about demolition as the annealing bays and other old legacy buildings are removed.

We updated you last time on the new 1.6mt pickle line which will be able to process thicker, wider and higher-strength material. We have now signed the contract for one of its key features – the acid recovery and waste water collection system which will make it a more sustainable pickle line ensuring supply to our customers without risk within our supply chain. The environmental benefits of this plant spread beyond our site as it will mean fewer HGV tankers on the roads and zero waste water or landfill.

We’ve also started work on the fume treatment plant which will extract and cleanse the fumes from the EAF. It’s just one of the things that will add up to a 90% reduction in our direct CO₂ emissions (Scope 1). When we are reminded of numbers like this, we can see beyond all the immediate workstreams to the greater benefit that EAF steelmaking will bring to Port Talbot.

Another current focus of activity is filling in the lagoon. While we will retain a smaller body of water for cooling and degreasing, we will be turning the infilled section of the lagoon into a road to transport scrap to the meltshop area – you can see it on the image. No fish will be harmed in the process – they will be relocated!