Job roles at Scunthorpe steelworks may have to change to secure the plant's long term viability, the Business Secretary has said.
The Government is looking for a private sector partner for the British Steel site, days after parliament passed emergency powers to keep the plant's two blast furnaces running. Jonathan Reynolds has not ruled Chinese firms being involved in the site's future.
British Steel's Chinese owner Jingye announced the closure of the remaining blast furnaces at Scunthorpe last month - a move which threaten to end virgin steel making capabilities in the Ƶ and put 2,700 people out of work. The Government passed emergency powers in Parliament on Saturday to keep the furnaces running after there were fears the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe could be left to cool if Jingye did not order the materials needed to keep them running.
Left to cool, the furnaces could be in danger of becoming blocked beyond repair.
Mr Reynolds spoke at the Port of Immingham where coking coal arrived, destined for the plant. He said: What we need for the long-term future of British Steel is that private sector partner to work with us as a Government on a transformation programme.
“That might be new technology, new facilities, that might have a different employment footprint. The staff here absolutely know that, they know they need a long-term future. These blast furnaces have given this country nearly a century of service in one case, so they know they need the future and that might be a different model, different technology.
“What they didn’t want was the unplanned, uncontrolled shutdown of the blast furnaces with thousands of job losses and no plan in place for the future. And by what we’ve been able to do, working with the brilliant team here at British Steel, is secure the possibility of that better future – and I for one am confident that we’ve made the right decision to support the people here.”
Unions including the GMB, Community and TSSA have welcomed the Government’s action to keep Scunthorpe open.
The GMB’s national officer for steel, Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, said there has been a “sigh of relief” at the delivery of coking coal, which will allow the Scunthorpe blast furnaces to continue functioning.
She said: “It’s a huge step. When we were stood here talking last week, there was real uncertainty about whether we would be able to maintain the blast furnaces beyond May. I think the whole workforce here are breathing a huge sigh of relief seeing that coke come off the shipment.”
