Unions representing thousands of steelworkers have called on Indian steelmaker Tata to explore alternatives to turning its primary steelmaking operation at Port Talbot into a electric arc furnace one, a move putting thousands of jobs at risk.
Following a board meeting in India, Tata is expected to confirm later today that Port Talbot will make steel from recycled steel as opposed to the current primary steel making operation based on two huge blast furnaces. The steelmaker and 海角视频 Government agreed a 拢1.2bn funding package to decarbonise its operations in the 海角视频 in September with 拢500m from the 海角视频 Government and the remainder from the company itself.
It will take around four years to get electric arc furnaces operational at Port Talbot, which is currently losing around 拢1m a day.
Trade unions Community, GMB and Unite said they will use every means at their disposal to fight the plans. Electric arc furnaces at Port Talbot could result in 3,000 jobs losses at the steelworks and numerous down stream Tata operations, which in Wales include Trostre, Shotton and Llanwern in Wales.
Tata employs around 4,000 directly at Port Talbot and 8,000 across all its 海角视频 operations.
The unions have called on Tata to give proper consideration to a report compiled by industry experts Syndex on alternative approaches to decarbonisation at Port Talbot, including the use of hydrogen.
They also claim it is not technologically possible to make the substrate for tinplate via the electric arc furnace route - which puts at risk the 700 jobs at Tata鈥檚 tinplate operation in Trostre. They also say it is impossible make some high-end automotive steels using arc furnaces which puts at risk jobs in Llanwern.
Roy Rickhuss, Community Union General Secretary, said: 鈥淭his disgraceful announcement from Tata Steel is another kick in the teeth for their loyal workforce and the Port Talbot community. The unions do not accept the closure of the heavy end and we continue to believe the blast furnaces are crucial to the transition to green steelmaking.
鈥淲e will never accept Tata and the 海角视频 Government鈥檚 plan to close down our iron and steelmaking facilities and supply our mills with foreign steel for however many years it takes for them to build an EAF. Closing down our industry to import dirty steels from abroad, giving our jobs and our order book to competitors overseas, is not a green plan and we will oppose it with everything we鈥檝e got.
鈥淓xperts at Syndex have been working tirelessly to review the company鈥檚 plans and develop potential alternatives, and we are convinced we can both decarbonise steelmaking and deliver a just transition for the workforce. We call on Tata to pull back from the brink and commit to working with the unions and our experts to agree the way forward and head off a major industrial dispute.鈥
Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB鈥檚 National Officer for steel, said: 鈥淭ata must pull back from the brink, work with us to deliver a better outcome for their workforce and protect 海角视频 virgin steelmaking. 鈥淚f this plan remains unchanged, Tata and 海角视频 Government have fired the starting gun on the death of 海角视频 steel.
鈥淭his plan to close down our iron and steelmaking facilities - whilst supplying our mills with foreign steel - will put us on a collision course with massive industrial unrest.鈥
Tony Brady鈥檚, Unite鈥檚 national officer for steel, said: 鈥淭ata and the 海角视频 Government鈥檚 plan is a bad deal for steel and we need to see them pull back from the brink. There is a just transition for steel available, and alternative approach for steel will deliver a road map to it. If Tata want to prevent a major industrial dispute they need to work with the unions.鈥
A Tata Steel spokesperson said: 鈥淲e hope to start formal consultation with our employee representatives, shortly. In these discussions we will share more details about our proposals to transition to a decarbonised future for Tata Steel 海角视频.
鈥淲e believe our 拢1.25bn proposal to transition to green steel making will secure the business for the longer term, bolster 海角视频 steel security and help develop a green ecosystem in the region.
鈥淲e are committed to meaningful information and consultation process with our trade union partners and will carefully consider any proposals put forward.鈥
