Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Tata Steel UK's Port Talbot site to see progress on Project Invictus, meet colleagues and apprentices, and discuss the future of the UK steel industry.
Tata Steel UK welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Kinnock MP and Deputy First Minister of Wales Sioned Williams MS to its Port Talbot site last week, providing an opportunity to showcase the significant progress being made on Project Invictus and the scale of investment in the future of UK steelmaking.
Hosted by Tata Steel CEO & Managing Director T. V. Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair, the visit highlighted one of the most significant transformations in UK steelmaking in a generation. The delegation toured the site to see first-hand the work underway and learn more about the programme that will help secure a sustainable future for steelmaking in South Wales.
Meeting the People Delivering the Transformation
During the visit, the Prime Minister met colleagues working on the project, spoke with apprentices and trade union representatives, and gained valuable insight into the skills, expertise and dedication driving the transformation at Port Talbot.
The visit also provided an opportunity to showcase the role apprentices and future talent will play in the next chapter of Tata Steel UK's journey, as well as the passion and professionalism of colleagues across the business.
Discussing the Future of UK Steel
Discussions focused on the importance of steel to the UK's manufacturing economy and the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Conversations included recent changes to trade measures in the UK and EU, as well as the wider role of steel in supporting economic growth and industrial resilience.
Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK, said:
"Such important stakeholders are critical to the success of our entire Tata Steel UK business, so we welcome every opportunity to reinforce steel's role as a foundation for the UK's manufacturing economy, and to show off the passion and professionalism of our people who will deliver it."
Tata Steel UK would like to thank everyone involved in planning and supporting the visit, helping to showcase the progress being made at Port Talbot and the people delivering the future of steelmaking in the UK.
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$27.3 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 covering 2023-2025.