A year has past since the final blast furnace at Port Talbot was switched off.
While the two blast furnaces still stand proudly on the skyline, it was a historic day, ending decades of primary steelmaking.
On September 30, 2024, blast furnace four – the final one operating at the vast site – was closed, ending 100 years of primary steelmaking and bringing thousands of job losses.
In a £1.2bn, investment, that includes £500m in Ƶ Government funding, Indian-owned Tata Steel Ƶ is transitioning its Port Talbot site to making steel made from scrap with an electric arc furnace that is due to become operational at the end of 2027.
Tata announced 2,800 job losses, with most being expected in Port Talbot. A letter from Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans, Rural Affairs Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies and Culture Minister Jack Sargeant, to a Senedd committee, has spelt out how many people have lost their jobs.
Between September 2024 and the end of July 2025, 2,162 people have left the business, the document says.
The letter spells out that 709 of those left through “natural attrition” including retirement, other employment or started a new business.
There were 1,332 people who took voluntary redundancy and 120 left via compulsory redundancy.
A retraining scheme has been set up for any of those who were leaving via compulsory redundancy, and the letter says an e-training scheme continues to be available.
Four people completed one month’s training and have left the scheme. There has been no further interest to date, the letter says.
Community the Union reported that, as of April, 2,587 people had attended their help hub and some events have taken place, including sessions on working on oil rigs and wind turbines.
A different publication, via the Ƶ Government, says nearly 600 Tata Steel employees initially at risk of compulsory redundancy have been offered alternative opportunities within the business.
In total, the Ƶ Government gave £80m in support to schemes to help those losing their jobs. The letter also lays out how many people are applying for help through the various grants and schemes being set up.
- Business Growth Fund: To support and provide capital and revenue grant assistance to help businesses, contractors and suppliers based in Neath Port Talbot to take advantage of growth, investment and diversification opportunities and create new jobs via revenue or capital grants between £25,000 and £300,000.
There have been 133 registrations, with six referred for support.
- Resilience Fund: To support local businesses and other contractors based in Neath Port Talbot who are not eligible to apply for support from the Supply Chain Transition Fund but are expected to be impacted by the transition at the Tata Steel site in Port Talbot. This will include non-repayable grant funding of £2,500 to £50,000. The letter says 158 enquiries have been received, with nine, thus far, referred to start-up support.
- Business start-up fund: This is for grants of up to £50,000 to support affected individuals in the Tata Steel Ƶ supply chain and Tata Steel Ƶ employees who want to start their own business or become self-employed.
Business Wales has now registered 219 clients interested in starting a business, with 193 actively engaged in receiving business support.
