Tata Steel signs contract with Tenova for EAF for Port Talbot plant

Indian steelmaker Tata Steel has signed a contract with Italy’s Tenova to supply an electric arc furnace (EAF) and additional equipment for its Port Talbot facility in the UK. This is stated in the message of Tata Steel.

Tenova will supply an EAF with an annual capacity of 3 million tons, the same capacity as the plant’s blast furnaces, which were shut down. The electric arc furnace will operate on scrap obtained in the UK (2-2.5 million tons will be processed annually). According to Tata Steel, the use of this raw material will also significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imported iron ore, strengthening the sustainability of its supply chain.

The new ladle furnaces, which will also be supplied by Tenova, will subsequently purify molten steel to produce more complex grades.

When commissioned at the end of 2027, the electric arc furnace will reduce carbon emissions from steel production by 90%, equivalent to 5 million tons of CO₂ per year.

Detailed design is currently underway, and separate orders will soon be placed for other equipment at Port Talbot to extend the life of the hot strip mill and casting machines, a new pickling line, cranes, as well as construction management and civil engineering.

As noted, Tata Steel has completed public consultation on the planning application. The company is working closely with the authorities to submit the application in November 2024. Large-scale work at the site is scheduled to begin around July 2025.

Tata Steel UK shut down the last blast furnace at its Port Talbot plant on September 30, ending pig iron and primary steel production at the site.
Steel production at the site will resume in 2027/2028 thanks to an investment of £1.25 billion – Tata Steel will invest £750 million, with government support from the UK government amounting to up to £500 million.