Tata Steel
UK has announced that it will start shutting down operations at its coke ovens in Port Talbot from Wednesday, affecting around 200 staff. The company said the closures are happening earlier than planned because the ovens can no longer be run safely. Coke ovens turn coal into coke, a vital ingredient for making steel. Tata has about 40 coke ovens left, with many already closed since they started operating in 1981. In January, Tata confirmed it would close blast furnaces at its Port Talbot plant, which could lead to over 3,000
Job losses. The plans also include closing the coke ovens, with closures set to start from July. However, due to "significantly deteriorating operational stability", Tata has had to stop operations sooner. This means around 200 workers at the Port Talbot coke ovens will be affected. But there won't be any immediate job cuts and Tata plans to move staff to other parts of the business. Once the ovens are closed, Tata will have to buy all the coke it needs for making steel. Tata Steel UK's chief executive, Rajesh Nair, said: "The performance of the coke ovens has been deteriorating over many months, despite some herculean efforts by the teams there." "The condition of the ovens has now worsened to a level making continued operation untenable. We will now begin the process of safely closing and purging the coke ovens, and ceasing operations at the adjoining by-products plant." He said he had "always been struck by the spirit and camaraderie of the workforce there who have always given everything to the plant, often in very difficult circumstances". He added: "We have been clear in our current restructuring proposals that many of our heavy-end assets in Port Talbot are at their end-of-life capability." "As part of our efforts to stem our current losses, and given the condition of the assets, we propose to close the heavy end iron and steelmaking assets at Port Talbot within this calendar year in a phased manner." Tata said it is investing £1.25 billion into electric arc furnace technology at Port Talbot, which will secure steelmaking in the region for the long term and help transition to a lower-carbon process. Alun Davies, the national officer for steel at steelworkers' union Community, said: "The early closure of the coke ovens is a massive blow but we knew they have been deteriorating and our number one concern is the safety of our members." "Tata know the unions will not accept any compulsory redundancies and we are working to conclude negotiations on an enhanced redundancy and retention package. This is another difficult day for our Welsh steel industry due to understandable safety concerns."
Labour MP Jo Stevens, shadow Welsh secretary, said: "Those workers affected need assurances about their immediate future. A UK Labour government will invest in our steel industry to ensure the transition to green steel is fuelled by the skills, talent and ambition of Welsh steelworkers."