Tata Steel Confirms Closure of Blast Furnaces and Job Cuts at Port Talbot

Company to Replace Furnaces with New Electric Arc Furnace Amid Criticism from Unions

• Tata Steel's plans to close blast furnaces at the Port Talbot steelworks and cut up to 2,800 jobs are 'pretty much' a done deal, according to the company's global chief executive, TV Narendran.
• The company plans to replace the blast furnaces with a new electric arc furnace, part-funded by a £500m government subsidy, which will significantly reduce carbon emissions but require far fewer workers.
• The decision has been driven by steep losses at the steelworks, which Narendran said came to £160m in the last quarter.
• Unions have criticized the decision, with the GMB union warning that the job losses are just the 'tip of the iceberg' due to the knock-on effect on the local economy and supply chain.
• The Welsh Secretary, David TC Davies, suggested that the new electric arc furnace could help support the UK's defence industry.

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