According to Britishsteel, the UK Government is committed to British Steel, Secretary of State Kemi Badenoch said during visits to the company's Scunthorpe and Teesside sites. The visits came as talks continue with the UK Government about British Steel's ÂŁ1.25-billion decarbonisation plan.
Badenoch stated, "The government is working very hard to keep primary steelmaking capability in the UK. This is about more than steel. It is also about economic resilience. It is about sovereign capability. It is about supply chains all across the UK that rely on steel. And one of the reasons that I am here today is to show people not just how much we care, but how much we are doing in order to ensure the steel industry in the UK survives.
"She emphasized the government's full commitment to UK steel, including British Steel, Tata Steel's Port Talbot steelworks, and the communities that have relied on the industry for hundreds of years. Badenoch expressed confidence in the industry's transition to a future green economy.
Detailed studies show that electrification would enable British Steel to continue making the products its customers require, and the company has recently received planning permission to build electric arc furnaces (EAFs) in Scunthorpe and Teesside. Significant preparation works, including environmental and technical studies, and equipment selection, are underway to ensure the company's ambitious proposals can be delivered at the earliest opportunity while discussions with the UK Government continue.
British Steel has started preliminary talks with trade unions about electrification and has promised to support employees affected by its decarbonisation plans.
