WATCH: Newport-based Braithwaite Engineers is playing an important role in Tata Steel UK's £1.25bn transformation at Port Talbot, manufacturing emergency water tanks for the site's new Electric Arc Furnace (EAF).
Working alongside Italian engineering company PERT, which is delivering the furnace's water systems, Braithwaite Engineers is producing a 200-cubic-metre emergency water tank that will be installed on top of a 50-metre tower at Port Talbot.
The tank will form a vital part of the EAF's cooling system, helping to maintain the flow of cooling water to the furnace in the event of an interruption to the main water supply.
The equipment will be among the first major components installed as construction of the new steelmaking facility progresses.
Local expertise supporting a major transformation
Braithwaite Engineers has a long history of manufacturing steel water tanks, with its hot-pressed panel technology dating back to a patent granted in 1901.
Today, the Newport-based company is the only manufacturer in the world producing hot-pressed panel tanks of this type and has been supplying Tata Steel and its predecessors for more than 50 years.
Ian Hoppy, Managing Director of Braithwaite Engineers, said:
"We've been supplying Tata Steel, to my knowledge, for over 50 years."
The emergency water tank is manufactured using five and six-millimetre steel supplied through Tata Steel's local operations, before being galvanised in Newport and returned to Braithwaite for packing and delivery.
Rather than being transported as a fully assembled structure, the tank is manufactured in individual panels, allowing it to be transported efficiently and assembled on site.
Ian explained:
"Basically, it's flat-packed, and one of the reasons for that is ease of handling."
The company's manufacturing expertise extends well beyond industrial applications, with its water storage solutions supplied to customers around the world, including tanks that have remained in service for more than a century.
Delivering the infrastructure for lower-CO₂ steelmaking
The emergency water tank forms part of a wider water infrastructure programme being delivered by PERT for the new Electric Arc Furnace.
The company is responsible for engineering and supplying components for the water systems, including tanks, pumping equipment and associated infrastructure.
Speaking about the partnership, PERT's representative said:
"We are really happy and proud to have this project with Tata and Braithwaite. They are a super partner."
He added:
"We are in charge of the water engineering for this project, supplying the water tanks, the pumping systems and all the components."
Ian Terry, Mechanical Engineer at Tata Steel UK, explained the importance of the emergency water system in maintaining the safe operation of the new furnace.
"It's designed to keep the flow of water to cool the furnace," he said.
Preparatory civil engineering works are underway at Port Talbot, with the tank scheduled to be assembled and installed as part of the next stages of construction.
The project brings together international engineering expertise and local manufacturing capability, demonstrating how businesses across South Wales are contributing to Tata Steel UK's transition towards lower-CO₂ steelmaking.
As the £1.25bn transformation progresses, partnerships with companies such as Braithwaite Engineers will continue to play an important role in delivering the infrastructure needed for the future of steelmaking in the UK.
Watch the video to go behind the scenes at Braithwaite Engineers and hear from the teams involved in delivering the new EAF water systems.
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.