Electric Arc Furnace boost for British Steel
(Posted on 02/05/24)
British Steel has been granted planning permission to build an Electric Arc Furnace at its Scunthorpe headquarters.
The company’s application was today approved by North Lincolnshire Council following a detailed consultation period. Its application to build another Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), at its Teesside site, was recently approved by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. The manufacturer’s proposed £1.25-billion transformation – its biggest in more than a century of steelmaking – is subject to appropriate support from the UK Government.
British Steel President and CEO Xijun Cao said: “We’re extremely pleased to have received planning permissions to build Electric Arc Furnaces at our Scunthorpe and Teesside sites. It is a significant step forward in our journey to net zero and we thank everyone who has supported our plans. “The proposed installation of EAFs in Scunthorpe and Teesside is central to our journey to a green future as they would help us reduce emissions of CO2 by more than 75 per cent.
However, it is crucial we now secure the backing of the UK Government. “Our owner, Jingye, is committed to the unprecedented investment decarbonisation requires and our desire to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint, coupled with challenging market conditions, means it is imperative swift and decisive action is taken to ensure a sustainable future for British Steel. “We are committed to working with the UK Government and need to reach an agreement quickly so we can achieve our ambitious goals, secure thousands of jobs and keep making the steel Britain needs for generations to come.” Significant preparation works, including environmental and technical studies, and equipment selection, are underway to ensure the company’s ambitious proposals can be delivered at the earliest opportunity while discussions with the UK Government continue. Both proposed EAFs would replace the aging iron and steelmaking operations at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site which are responsible for the vast majority of its CO2 emissions. The company proposes maintaining current operations until a transition to electric arc steelmaking. British Steel has started preliminary talks with trade unions about electrification, and has promised to support employees affected by its decarbonisation plans.
Xijun said: “We are confident our proposals will help secure the low-embedded carbon steelmaking the UK requires now and for decades to come.” Detailed studies show electrification would enable British Steel to continue making the products its customers require. A special paper explaining how EAF technology can produce all steel products and grades by managing the raw material mix has been published by UK Steel.
Now under the ownership of Jingye, one of China’s leading steelmakers, British Steel is embarking on a major modernisation programme that will significantly improve manufacturing operations, energy efficiency and environmental performance.
British Steel manufacture more than 1,450 different specifications of steel that is rolled into wire rod, sections, special profiles, rail, billet, bloom and slab, employing more than 4,500 people, around 300 of whom are in the Netherlands.
Latest News
SSAB invests $74 Million to expand steel production in Alabama
(Posted on 07/05/25)Highly-specialised global steel company, SSAB has announced a significant investment of approximately... Read more
GGC welcomes new Canadian government and urges farm priorities action
(Posted on 01/05/25)Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has welcomed Prime Minister Mark Carney and all Members of Parliament... Read more
US Soybean growers disappointed in 2;4-D Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties vote
(Posted on 30/04/25)The International Trade Commission in the USA has voted in favour of imposing final anti-dumping (AD... Read more
Ukraine already sown two million hectares of spring grains
(Posted on 28/04/25)As of April 25, 2025, farmers in all regions of Ukraine have sown 2M hectares (ha) of spring grain and... Read more
Condobolin rail upgrade fast-tracks NSW grain
(Posted on 25/04/25)GrainCorp’s rail site at Condobolin, in the heart of central west New South Wales, Australia,... Read more
Rio Tinto and AMG assess low-carbon aluminium project in India
(Posted on 22/04/25)Rio Tinto and AMG Metals & Materials (AMG M&M), an energy transition solutions provider, have... Read more
BHP record iron ore and copper production demonstrates resilience
(Posted on 22/04/25)BHP has released its Operational Review for the nine months ended 31 March 2025.BHP Chief Executive... Read more
WTO: Trump’s tariffs will shrink global trade
(Posted on 16/04/25)The volume of world merchandise trade is expected to decline by 0.2% in 2025 under current conditions... Read more
$235million syndicated loan agreement to boost UAE trade with Trafigura
(Posted on 15/04/25)In a strategic move to empower UAE exporters and advance the nation’s economic diversification... Read more
Anglo American update on sale of steelmaking coal business to Peabody
(Posted on 15/04/25)Anglo American plc has noted the recent statement issued by Peabody Energy in relation to the definitive... Read more
