Post by lika on Jan 19, 2024 11:29:24 GMT
“We understand the steel giant has told unions today it will go ahead with its own plan to close the blast furnaces at the site and replace them with electric arc furnaces. They are greener, but require fewer staff and it is expected to lead to mass redundancies at the Port Talbot plant and more elsewhere in the supply chain.
The current method of steel production, which involves making new steel in blast furnaces, is set to end and the company announced in September a plan to change to a new type of furnace which uses renewable electricity rather than fossil fuels to power the melting of scrap steel.
The company is planning to spend £1.25bn on the transformation and the UK Government said it would give a £500m subsidy towards the switch. However recycling steel requires far fewer workers and the steel is expected to have a small range of end uses meaning that unions say 3,000 fewer worker will be needed.”
walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/live-updates-port-talbot-steelworkers-28467371
The current method of steel production, which involves making new steel in blast furnaces, is set to end and the company announced in September a plan to change to a new type of furnace which uses renewable electricity rather than fossil fuels to power the melting of scrap steel.
The company is planning to spend £1.25bn on the transformation and the UK Government said it would give a £500m subsidy towards the switch. However recycling steel requires far fewer workers and the steel is expected to have a small range of end uses meaning that unions say 3,000 fewer worker will be needed.”
walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/live-updates-port-talbot-steelworkers-28467371
