WATCH: The first major pieces of equipment for Tata Steel UK’s new Pickle Line have arrived at Port Talbot, marking another significant milestone in the transformation of the site.
The first sections of the new Pickle Line tanks have been delivered to the steelworks, where they will be stored ahead of installation as work on the project continues to gather pace.
The huge tanks will play a vital role in the new line, holding the hydrochloric acid used during the pickling process to clean the surface of steel strip.
Made from polypropylene because of its acid-resistant properties, each tank section weighs around 10 tonnes, with some parts of the material around 200mm thick. Eight sections will ultimately be assembled to create four of the main tanks, alongside a number of additional tanks required for the line.
For the project team, their arrival represents an important moment after around 18 months of planning.
Mark Jones, from the Pickle Line project team, said:
“It’s been a long, long time coming. We’ve been on the project now for around 18 months and it’s all been about the planning stage up until now.
“It’s the first time we’ve actually seen something happening from the mechanical aspect. These tanks in particular are one of the most important bits of equipment for the Pickle Line.”
Getting equipment of this scale safely onto the Port Talbot site has required careful coordination between the project, construction and logistics teams.
The tanks travelled via the Port of Sheerness before being transported to Port Talbot, where a specially manufactured lifting beam has been developed to enable the sections to be safely offloaded.
Nathan Flynn, from Site Logistics, explained:
“We coordinated with the logistics company how we managed to get that into Port Talbot. Our plans were all in place so we could safely get it over to the lifting team to offload for us.
“The lifting beam was specifically manufactured for this offload and we anticipate we’ll use that for the further deliveries.”
The logistics challenge does not end when equipment reaches the site. Teams are also coordinating storage and movement as increasing amounts of equipment arrive for the transformation programme.
Areas of the site are being used to provide indoor storage and assembly space, while the warehouse management system is being used to provide visibility of equipment and its movement around the steelworks.
The arrival of the tanks is the first of a growing number of major deliveries expected at Port Talbot over the coming weeks and months, as progress continues on both the new Pickle Line and Electric Arc Furnace.
With physical equipment now arriving alongside the extensive construction activity already taking place across the site, the transformation of Port Talbot is becoming increasingly visible.
WATCH: Major milestone as first Pickle Line tanks arrive at Port Talbot
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. 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.
- 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$27.3 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2026.
- Tata Steel has long played a key role in enabling the UK economy to become more circular. Its products are highly durable, reusable and recyclable, It applies a sustainability assessment tool during its new product development process to measure the sustainability credentials of its new offerings.
- More information about the crucial role that Tata Steel UK already plays in driving the UK to a more circular economy, and its plans to play an even greater role, can be found in its recently-published Sustainability Report 2026.