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| Traditional steelmaking ends in Port Talbot | Traditional steelmaking ends in Port Talbot |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tata Steel is closing its blast furnaces in Port Talbot as it restructures its operations in the UK | Tata Steel is closing its blast furnaces in Port Talbot as it restructures its operations in the UK |
| Tata Steel is closing its blast furnaces in Port Talbot as it restructures its operations in the UK | Tata Steel is closing its blast furnaces in Port Talbot as it restructures its operations in the UK |
| Published29 September 2024 | |
| The last remaining blast furnace in Port Talbot will stop producing steel on Monday, ending the traditional method of steelmaking in south Wales. | The last remaining blast furnace in Port Talbot will stop producing steel on Monday, ending the traditional method of steelmaking in south Wales. |
| Tata Steel is expected to remove the last usable liquid iron from blast furnace 4 on Monday afternoon. | Tata Steel is expected to remove the last usable liquid iron from blast furnace 4 on Monday afternoon. |
| The closure of the heavy end at the UK's largest steelworks is part of a restructure that will cut 2,800 jobs. | The closure of the heavy end at the UK's largest steelworks is part of a restructure that will cut 2,800 jobs. |
| Future steelmaking in Port Talbot will rely on imports until an electric furnace, which melts scrap steel, is built. | Future steelmaking in Port Talbot will rely on imports until an electric furnace, which melts scrap steel, is built. |
| Owen Midwinter, who's from Port Talbot, has already finished his last shift in the blast furnace control room. | Owen Midwinter, who's from Port Talbot, has already finished his last shift in the blast furnace control room. |
| He wants to stay with Tata, but said he is "in limbo" while he finds out if he will be matched to a job in another part of the company. | He wants to stay with Tata, but said he is "in limbo" while he finds out if he will be matched to a job in another part of the company. |
| "Every day there are rumours, it plays on your mind a bit," he said. | "Every day there are rumours, it plays on your mind a bit," he said. |
| Owen said he accepts he may have to move away to find the kind of work he wants. | Owen said he accepts he may have to move away to find the kind of work he wants. |
| "If the worst comes to the worst and I do get made redundant, I'd want to stay around here," he added. | "If the worst comes to the worst and I do get made redundant, I'd want to stay around here," he added. |
| "I've got my family, I've got the football club. But that might not be a possibility." | "I've got my family, I've got the football club. But that might not be a possibility." |
| Owen Midwinter says he wants to stay with Tata but does not know what is next | Owen Midwinter says he wants to stay with Tata but does not know what is next |
| Owen Midwinter says he wants to stay with Tata but does not know what is next | Owen Midwinter says he wants to stay with Tata but does not know what is next |
| He said there are mixed emotions amongst employees. For some, the significance "has hit home a bit". | He said there are mixed emotions amongst employees. For some, the significance "has hit home a bit". |
| "They're feeling it now, they've been there for years and years, and now it's finally coming to an end." | "They're feeling it now, they've been there for years and years, and now it's finally coming to an end." |
| But a lot of people are "just getting on with it", he said. | But a lot of people are "just getting on with it", he said. |
| "It's been a long process now and they're counting down the days for it to be off and they can start a new beginning elsewhere, either in the company or on their own." | "It's been a long process now and they're counting down the days for it to be off and they can start a new beginning elsewhere, either in the company or on their own." |
| James Raleigh is one of the team that has operated Port Talbot's blast furnaces for Tata Steel UK | James Raleigh is one of the team that has operated Port Talbot's blast furnaces for Tata Steel UK |
| James Raleigh is one of the team that has operated Port Talbot's blast furnaces for Tata Steel UK | James Raleigh is one of the team that has operated Port Talbot's blast furnaces for Tata Steel UK |
| Blast furnaces produce molten iron by splitting rocks containing iron ore. It is a chemical reaction that requires intense heat, and which emits high levels of carbon into the atmosphere. | Blast furnaces produce molten iron by splitting rocks containing iron ore. It is a chemical reaction that requires intense heat, and which emits high levels of carbon into the atmosphere. |
| It is known as primary steelmaking, or virgin steelmaking, as it extracts iron from its original source and can be purified and treated to make all types of steel. | It is known as primary steelmaking, or virgin steelmaking, as it extracts iron from its original source and can be purified and treated to make all types of steel. |
| The BBC was given permission to record inside the blast furnace during its final days of operation. | The BBC was given permission to record inside the blast furnace during its final days of operation. |
| James Raleigh, who has been involved in operating both blast furnaces in Port Talbot, said: "I have been in there quite a few times, but it is still very impressive to me." | James Raleigh, who has been involved in operating both blast furnaces in Port Talbot, said: "I have been in there quite a few times, but it is still very impressive to me." |
| The works technical manager for the coke, sinter and iron department added: "Working in this industry, the scale of it is absolutely huge. It is still very impressive every time I go in there." | The works technical manager for the coke, sinter and iron department added: "Working in this industry, the scale of it is absolutely huge. It is still very impressive every time I go in there." |
| Temperatures inside the furnace reach over 2,000C (3,632F) with liquid iron "tapped" by workers flowing out at a temperature of around 1,500C (2,732F). | Temperatures inside the furnace reach over 2,000C (3,632F) with liquid iron "tapped" by workers flowing out at a temperature of around 1,500C (2,732F). |
| Blast furnace 4 will produce its final liquid iron on Monday, ending primary steelmaking in Wales | Blast furnace 4 will produce its final liquid iron on Monday, ending primary steelmaking in Wales |
| Blast furnace 4 will produce its final liquid iron on Monday, ending primary steelmaking in Wales | Blast furnace 4 will produce its final liquid iron on Monday, ending primary steelmaking in Wales |
| The first of Port Talbot's two blast furnaces was taken out of service in July, while the closure of the second will mark the end of primary steelmaking in Wales. | The first of Port Talbot's two blast furnaces was taken out of service in July, while the closure of the second will mark the end of primary steelmaking in Wales. |
| Tata Steel UK has consistently said that its blast furnace operations were losing £1m a day, and it will invest £1.25bn in an electric arc furnace which would reduce emissions and secure the future of steelmaking. | Tata Steel UK has consistently said that its blast furnace operations were losing £1m a day, and it will invest £1.25bn in an electric arc furnace which would reduce emissions and secure the future of steelmaking. |
| The UK government has committed £500m towards the cost of the new technology, with construction set to begin in August 2025. | The UK government has committed £500m towards the cost of the new technology, with construction set to begin in August 2025. |
| In the meantime imported steel slab will be milled in Port Talbot to continue supplying customers and Tata's downstream sites in Trostre, Llanwern and Shotton. | In the meantime imported steel slab will be milled in Port Talbot to continue supplying customers and Tata's downstream sites in Trostre, Llanwern and Shotton. |
| Prof Geraint Williams says blast furnace closures were a "turning-point" for the birthplace of the industrial revolution | Prof Geraint Williams says blast furnace closures were a "turning-point" for the birthplace of the industrial revolution |
| Prof Geraint Williams says blast furnace closures were a "turning-point" for the birthplace of the industrial revolution | Prof Geraint Williams says blast furnace closures were a "turning-point" for the birthplace of the industrial revolution |
| Prof Geraint Williams from Swansea University said the end of blast furnace production was "a turning-point in steelmaking" in the UK. | Prof Geraint Williams from Swansea University said the end of blast furnace production was "a turning-point in steelmaking" in the UK. |
| "You are removing the capacity of the UK to be able to produce its own primary steel," he said. | "You are removing the capacity of the UK to be able to produce its own primary steel," he said. |
| "What is produced in an electric arc furnace isn't primary steel. What you're doing is recycling steel. You're re-melting it." | "What is produced in an electric arc furnace isn't primary steel. What you're doing is recycling steel. You're re-melting it." |
| Prof Williams said the closure of Port Talbot's furnaces, and the expected closure of the UK's last remaining blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, signalled a major change in the country's industrial history. | Prof Williams said the closure of Port Talbot's furnaces, and the expected closure of the UK's last remaining blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, signalled a major change in the country's industrial history. |
| "Great Britain is the birthplace of the industrial revolution, so it's very surprising that - eventually - we will lose the ability to produce steel from scratch." | "Great Britain is the birthplace of the industrial revolution, so it's very surprising that - eventually - we will lose the ability to produce steel from scratch." |
| Related topics | Related topics |
| Wales | Wales |
| Wales business | Wales business |
| Steel industry | Steel industry |
| Port Talbot | Port Talbot |
| Tata Group | Tata Group |