Tata Steel UK celebrates groundbreaking of the Electric Arc Furnace

Tata Steel UK celebrates a historic milestone in its green transformation journey as Mr Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Steel and the Tata Group, joins government ministers at a groundbreaking event for the company’s state-of-the-art Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) facility in Port Talbot.

The new EAF—set to be commissioned at the end of 2027—is expected to reduce Port Talbot’s carbon emissions by approximately 90%, equivalent to 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year, while securing high-quality sustainable steel production and supporting 5,000 UK jobs directly.

The Port Talbot EAF will be one of the largest in the world, melting UK-sourced scrap steel to produce 3 million tonnes of steel per year. As part of Tata Steel UK’s broader decarbonisation strategy, the project also includes new ladle metallurgy facilities, infrastructure upgrades, and partnerships with leading technology providers such as Tenova, ABB, and Clecim.

Tata Steel hosted a high-profile groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of a new era for the company, with the CEO, Rajesh Nair, stating: “It was a real pleasure to be able to share this day with so many people from our organisation, youngsters on the project, and our partners in the Trades Unions. Because after a difficult couple of years, it was right to not only recognise the impact these changes have had on many of our people and on our communities, but also to look forward with energy and optimism to a future that will be more sustainable for all of us.”

Chairman Mr Chandrasekaran also recognised the difficult times the company has been through in recent years, saying: “This site has gone through a lot of difficulties, and the people here have been through hardship. This is a major commitment we are making, and it is a new era. It is important we get this project right. I personally am very committed to making this happen.”