Tata Steel has received planning approval for major changes at its Neath Port Talbot plant, transitioning to electric arc furnace steelmaking. This £1.25 billion investment will lead to 2,000 job losses but aims to preserve 5,

Tata Steel’s electric arc furnace at its Port Talbot plant received planning permission from the local authorities on February 18.

The development could begin by the summer of 2025 and follows the decision to shut down the blast furnaces with the loss of thousands of jobs

Tata Steel's application was given the go-ahead on Tuesday morning at a meeting of Neath Port Talbot Council's planning committee. The company closed both of its blast furnaces last year and said they would be replaced by an electric arc furnace, as part of its transition to greener production methods.

Tata Steel's £1.25 billion electric furnace project in Port Talbot has been approved, securing thousands of jobs and marking a significant step towards sustainable steelmaking in the UK.

The boss of the company said there was a need in Wales to get economically inactive individuals back to work but that the support needed to be there

The transition from conventional blast furnace steelmaking to EAF technology will reduce direct on-site CO₂ emissions by 90%

The planning application to the Neath Port Talbot Council's Planning Committee sought permission to construct an Electric Arc Furnace, two new Ladle Metallurgy Furnaces for secondary steelmaking, and supporting infrastructure.

Neath Port Talbot Council approves Tata Steel UK's Electric Arc Furnace project, securing jobs and reducing CO2 emissions.

The development could begin by the summer of 2025 and follows the decision to shut down the blast furnaces with the loss of thousands of jobs