A critical electrical fault has delayed the start-up of Tata Steel’s new £1.25bn electric arc furnace in Port Talbot, casting doubt on the UK’s already fragile steel sovereignty. The furnace, intended to replace the site’s two ageing blast furnaces and secure thousands of jobs, was due to begin operations this quarter.
Engineers discovered a fault in the high-voltage power supply system during final testing, forcing a postponement of at least three months. This delay leaves the plant without any steelmaking capacity, as the blast furnaces were switched off last year amid warnings that the transition was too risky. Unite the union has accused the company of “catastrophic mismanagement” and called for immediate government intervention to preserve the UK’s ability to produce its own steel.
The setback also threatens the government’s £500m support package for the green transition, with experts warning that the country may now be forced to import more steel during a global supply crunch. For the workers of Port Talbot, already reeling from 2,800 job losses, this news is another blow to a town built on steel. The price of construction steel has already risen 18% this year, partly due to the UK’s declining production.
Without a functioning furnace, the UK’s steel self-sufficiency – already below 50% – could fall even further.
